Mission: Impossible
by amyjane1200
Summary: (REVISED)Taking various identities and going undercover is their specialty, sworn to prioritize their missions and protect others before their selves but in a world full of pretence, criminals and spies, will they be able to trust anyone let alone find love?
1. First Mission

**Chapter 1: First Mission  
**

* * *

 ** _10:50 PM_**

 ** _May 5, 2016_**

 ** _Yamamoto's Mansion_**

"Abort the mission, we are compromised" Kanou cried out on the other line while the others stiffened on their position after hearing his report.

'Shit' he glanced at the unsuspecting lady by his side and the other gentlemen engrossed in a conversation with the host. From his peripheral vision, he noticed the security moving into the room while the others proceeded to the second floor. He realized he needed to vacate the area as soon as possible.

"Excuse me for a second," he smiled at them and walked away. The other simply gave him a fleeting look before resuming to their conversation but his companion gave him another glance, he simply offered her an apologetic smile before picking up his speed.

"Entrances are blocked," he heard Hinata, "They are coming in from the side doors," he followed up. Tora quickly turned around after the warning, he tried his best to remain calm by offering the guests his shrimp platter while stirring away from the security and moved to the back of the room.

"I'm driving to the alley in the next street. Be there in 10 min," Hinata instructed.

Takumi glanced at his watch _; 10:50 pm_. He slipped out to the backyard from the windows in the maid's quarter, cleverly dodging a couple of passing guards in the process and safely hiding himself behind the hedges. After looking around he found a possible escape route, 10 feet on his right was a brick wall where he could climb over and land on the street next to the alley but assessing their situation he realized he will be shot before making it to the other side. He took a deep sigh when he noticed a shadow emerging from the corner of the house and two running figures heading his way.

"Yukimura, 6 o'clock two guys approaching," the shadow quickly hid behind the wall as two men in black suits ran past him.

"That was close. How are we getting out?" he asked with a shaky breath. Takumi glanced at his watch once again, _10:54 pm_. At this rate, both of them will be captured if they stay any longer.

"There's five men in the vicinity. Make a run for it while I distract them," Takumi signaled at him and pointed at the wall on their right.

"If I don't make it just leave without me. We can't compromise our identities," after his instruction, Takumi ran to his left towards the direction of the gate which he hoped to be able to cross before they catch him.

"Over there," he heard the men screaming and shots were fired in his direction. With one last glance and no other option, Yukimura took the chance and dashed towards his only escape route. Takumi took cover behind a statue located near the fountain. _10:58 pm_. His chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath, he could feel the pounding in his chest and the adrenaline rushing through his veins. He hasn't felt this rush in a long time. He fired at them and dived to the next statue to take cover, a sharp pain on his arm made him pause on his feet.

"Fuck," he groaned while applying pressure on his wounded arm. The guards kept firing at his direction and he could only stay still in his position and wait for the worst possible scenario; get caught.

"We are not leaving without you," he heard Hinata say.

He cradled his arm and shook his head, "Thanks for the concern, but they followed Yukimura's trail and there's more security coming my way,"

Takumi heard gunfire on the other line, "We are surrounded. We have to leave," Kuuga yelled.

"Leave. NOW," Takumi commanded as his grip tightened around his gun.

"Fucking shit," Tora cursed as Hinata slammed on the gas pedal.

 ** _24 hours earlier_**

 _ **Liberty Conference Hall** _

"I am here to see Mr. Tadashi."

"You can go right ahead. It's the door on your right."

He walked in the familiar hallway that led to their usual meeting room and opened the door expecting one reaction. The room became quiet as the occupants stared in shock at their surprise guest.

"Long time no see," Kouga warily said while Takumi took a seat beside him.

"Where have you been?" Hinata furrowed his brows, "You know we were so worried about you," his entire team gazed at him in silence. He didn't think that his leave after their last mission will affect their team but their reaction showed that there was a lot of doubt and concern regarding his sudden disappearance. But he knew he couldn't blame them for being suspicious, he left without any warning and he wasn't sure if he would be ever ready to tell them his reason.

"I had to take care of some personal business," he said as he leaned back on his chair. Working as a team for six years, trust was one simple thing that made their team work, no secrets were kept from each other but in this case he wasnt ready to admit the truth to himself.

"What did I miss?"

"You missed a whole month of training," Yukimura said.

He nodded, "I guess I didn't miss a lot then," he smirked

The tension in the room died down a bit as they began cracking a few jokes

"Hope your little vacation was worth it because they will kick your ass when you get back in the academy," Tora sneered

Before Takumi could rebuttal, Jiro Tadashi came in. Jiro is one of the appointed supervisors in the institute, he overlooks and arrange missions given from the headquarter office of the S.F.I also known as the Secret Force Intelligence.

"Good afternoon boys," he walked to the front and put down his suitcase on the table "Glad to see that everyone made it to the briefing today. Welcome back Takumi," Jiro nodded at him.

"Let's begin, shall we?" Jiro fired up his computer and began the presentation. A picture of a man in his fifties appeared on the first slide. He was all too familiar to everybody in the room, he appeared plenty of times in the news and tabloids for having questionable number of properties and allegedly being involved with illegal businesses.

"I know all of you know him very well," Jiro said.

"Kiro Sasaki," Kuuga mumbled.

"He is running a multi billion-dollar cocaine trade here in Japan. Kiro is well protected by the police and military, all the whistle blowers have been killed and the others are too scared to come out. The evidences and their activities are also covered up by the authorities," he turned to the next slide

"and this is where you come in," the next slide showed the picture of Kenji Yamamoto, a business tycoon who owns the largest bank in Japan. Jiro took out folders from his suitcase and distributed it to each one of them.

"Kenji Yamamoto has an annual event for his business partners. The next function will be held tomorrow night and Kiro will make an appearance. Your roles for tomorrow night are listed in the folder," Takumi opened his folder and skimmed through the descriptions.

"Kenji manages Kiro's bank accounts and the transfer of moneys from the other dealers and high-profile customers. Your job is to get a hold of the security files in Kenji's office and possibly gather some information from Kiro himself. The security will be put into high alert so everyone needs to be careful. As of now they have no suspicion that we are coming," they will be going up against one of the most influential and powerful people in Japan. If something goes wrong during the operation, it will be not just their lives that will be in danger but also the whole organization, "Make sure that this operation runs smoothly. This is a rare chance to get this close to the enemy and there's no room for ANY mistakes," he added

The group nodded in understanding, "and now to the more exciting part. Here are your new toys," he went around the room and placed a black attaché case in front of each person. They broke into a smile as they excitedly anticipate for the latest items that will be part of their collections. Trying and getting to play with the latest weapons and most advance gadgets during missions is one of the most exciting part of their job, aside from the adrenaline they get from the gun firing and near-death incidents.

"Come to daddy," Tora mumbled as he unlocks his case.

Every mission they get a variety of gadgets and weapons that will be useful for their tasks. For this mission, they were given a wireless nano earbud, 1 mm in size that enables them to communicate to each other. Contact lenses that records everything they see, a pen that shoots bullets, pocket knives for easy concealment and the elixir, in case they get caught, and the last but not the least, the most important weapon in their briefcase: Guns and bullets.

"Lets do this," Takumi grabbed the gun and pointed it at the picture of Kiro.

 **-xxx-**

 ** _7:10 PM_**

 ** _Yamamoto's Mansion_**

"Confirm location, first floor."

"In position," Tora mumbled as he arranged champagne bottles on the table situated in corner of the room.

"In position," Yukimura made his way out from the kitchen

"Moving in," Takumi reported. Hinata parked the car at the front staircase with the rest of the other chauffeur.

"Stick to the plan. Set up the laptops for transmission and standby," he nodded and Takumi got out of the car.

Takumi fixed his tie and walked up to the stairs leading to the huge wooden door guarded by two men. He quickly observed his surrounding, there were at least a dozen men patrolling the front of the house alone. The first rule of being an agent is to always be in full alert. Knowing each exit points, studying your surrounding and assessing the number of people you are up against are just few of the things they need to keep in mind every mission.

A tall, muscular man stopped him at the top of the staircase, "Identification," Takumi showed his ID and the man checked the guest list.

"Sir, we need to check if you are carrying any dangerous objects," Takumi put his hands up and the security checked all of his pockets and patted him down. As soon as he was cleared the man nodded at the guards standing by the door and they pushed it open for Takumi.

"In position," Takumi mumbled as he made his way into the ballroom. He looked around and spotted Tora serving champagnes while Kenji was standing near the stage surrounded with other business men. Yukimura appeared from the crowd.

"All Set," Yukimura notified him.

Takumi went into the restroom. He opened the sink vanity and took out a handgun and a couple pistol magazine buried under a bucket full of dirty washcloths. He quickly loaded his gun and put it under his belt.

After grabbing a champagne, he went up to a few men to strike up a conversation while stealthily eyeing Kenji. His main objective was to get close to the host and meet their target, Kiro but looking at the host fixated in a conversation with other gentlemen, he realized that his task was harder than it seemed.

"Negative," he heard on the other line, "Kiro is nowhere to be found,"

He furrowed his brows after hearing their report. He excused himself and walked to the bar to observe the crowd, it was unlikely for someone like Kiro to arrive late at a party where his associates will be waiting for him. According to their reports, a lot of private events thrown by his associates are used to make deals and secure businesses with Kiro. He didn't want to think of the worse but with the missing target, there was a big chance they have to retreat if nothing else falls into place.

"Can I get tequila shot," he glanced at the girl beside him.

"One more please," she gulped down the second one and signaled the bar tender for another one.

"Rough night?" He asked returning his sight to watch the crowd.

She laughed "Oh, you have no idea."

Takumi looked back at her as he suddenly thought of a plan "I'm sure it will get better."

She looked up to meet his eyes and a cunning smile formed in the corner of her lips, "I think it just did,"

"What is your name?"

"Michael Smith."

"Maria Mori," she shook his hands.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Maria," he smirked.


	2. Identity

**CHAPTER 2: Identities  
**

* * *

 ** _9:00 PM_**

 ** _Yamamotos' Mansion_**

"Can I get tequila shot," he glanced at the girl beside him.

"One more please," she gulped down the second one and signaled the bar tender for another one.

"Rough night?" He asked returning his sight to watch the crowd.

She laughed "Oh, you have no idea."

Takumi looked back at her as he suddenly thought of a plan "I'm sure it will get better."

She looked up to meet his eyes and a cunning smile formed in the corner of her lips, "I think it just did,"

"What is your name?"

"Michael Smith."

"Maria," she shook his hands.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Maria," he smirked.

"We are working Takumi," Kuuga snickered in the background. He ignored his comment and focused on the attractive woman in front of him. He noted her sudden interest as she straightened her posture, exposing the daring slit on her left thigh as she leaned her frame closer to him. His pools casually looked her over as she seductively took her third drink without breaking her gaze at him, her hazel brown eyes bored into his while he watched her every move.

"What is a beautiful lady like you doing here drinking alone?" he asked suddenly feeling drawn to the mysterious lady.

"Just trying to calm my nerves," she looked at the crowd and then asked "What is a handsome gentleman like you doing here alone? Shouldn't you be accompanying your date tonight?"

"I actually came alone," Takumi replied and smirked "Shouldn't you be dancing with your date tonight?"

"I actually came alone," she flipped her hair back.

"Well if that is the case, can I dance with you?" He offered his hand.

They moved to the dance floor with the other couples swaying in-sync to the slow song, he pulled her closer to put his hands around her waist while she placed her hands on his shoulders. Takumi glanced his target once more, a couple approached Kenji and his associates. Similar to him, everyone at the party has their own agenda and one of them is to make a good impression to Kenji and become part of his elusive circle. Being part of his circle means a higher success and opportunities for their businesses that was the least of his worries, but becoming acquainted with Kenji means a higher possibility in meeting Kiro. He focused his attention back to his companion.

"So, what do you do for a living, Maria?" despite being on a mission he couldn't help but be curious of the beautiful stranger in his arms.

"I work for my father's company. He owns an exporting company and we have been trying to get Kenji to invest. How about you? You seem a little bit out of place here," He slightly raised his eyebrows at her comment, "Most of the gentlemen here are in their thirties and trying to score a deal but you don't look like you belong here,"

He chuckled, "Are you complimenting my looks?"

She tilted her head in one side and her lips curved into a grin, "Maybe,"

He paused for a second and carefully studied the woman in front of him, suddenly feeling a little bit sceptical of her interest in him, "Let's not judge a book by its cover, do I not look like I am here for an official business matter?"

"Maybe," she moved her face closer, "I don't usually judge a book by its cover but you piqued my interest," he stared at her to find any clues of insincerity but she kept a straight face and gave him a small smile. He dismissed the thought and set off to begin his plan.

"Come on, let's say hi to the host,"

They walked together and approached the host and his friends, "Hello, gentlemen. I am Michael Smith and this is my lovely date, Maria Mori," the men paused their conversation and faced the newcomers

"Sorry, I have never met you two before," Kenji shook both their hands and the other men followed suit.

"My father was one of your stockholders, I am taking his place for tonight," Takumi explained.

"Where is your father's company based?" he probed

"In England," Takumi.

"Its really an honor to be here. Thank you for inviting us," Kenji focused his attention to the woman beside him.

"Don't mention it, it's an honor to meet a beautiful lady tonight."

"You are too nice," Maria said.

"You two make a lovely couple," one of the gentlemen exclaimed.

They exchanged a quick look before responding to his comment, "Thank you," she replied.

Kenji put his arm around Takumi "You have good taste in women. You know I looked like this young man during my younger years," everyone laughed at his remark.

"I think I remember your father now, you look exactly like him," one of the older men remarked amid their light-hearted conversation. Takumi's eyes widened in surprise, his façade slightly wavered after hearing his comment.

He quickly recollected himself and politely smiled, "I hear that a lot,"

"We don't usually see a lot of young people here," the man mused out loud.

"That is true. We need more young people like you two, very driven and passionate," Kenji stated and the others nodded their heads in agreement.

"Thank you, I look up to your work and it would be really nice to follow your steps one day. Would you mind giving us a few advices?" Maria asked.

"Yeah, Kenji. Share us your secrets," the man on his left chuckled.

"If I tell you, I will have to kill you," he grinned and then laughed hysterically, the rest disregarded his comment and laughed along while Takumi gave him a curtest smile in response, he knew too much to shrug off Kenji's statement as a joke.

"I am kidding. I only have one advice that is to be smart about the people you choose. It is easy for people to pull you down once you are on top. You have to find the right people that will help you grow and succeed," Takumi nodded in agreement. It appeared that Kenji found that person in Kiro's shoes.

"What other businesses do you think will be right for someone like me who's just starting? I am willing to do anything to make a name of my own. I don't want be my father's shadow for the rest of my life," Takumi inquired. Kenji patted his shoulder and gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Like what I said finding the right people is the key," he leaned closer to the two "I will introduce you two to my good friend, Kiro. He is very influential and can pull a few strings in this business, I am sure he will be able to help both of you," he winked at them.

Takumi's smile widened "That is great."

 ** _10:15 PM_**

 ** _Yamamoto's Mansion_**

Kanou blended in with the guards and patrolled in the garden. As soon as the other guards changed position he sneaked into the second floor. After a few try he opened the lock to Kenji's office. He quietly closed the door and made his way to the study table where his desk was located. Kanou took out his bag and connected the M140 compact processor to the desktop computer. The small device allows Hinata to unlock the security system and gain access to his files.

"I am in. Give me 10 minutes," Hinata said as a blue screen appeared on the screen of his laptop.

"We don't have enough time. 5 minutes."

"Fine," while Hinata took over Kanou snooped around for any evidences that might of any help. He went through the scattered folders and opened the drawers when he spotted a safety box located near the bookshelves. He shined the flashlight over it and studied it carefully, it doesn't only require a pass code but also a fingerprint. He took out a dactyloscopic magnifier and looked for Kenji's fingerprints that he could use to open the safe.

"Downloading the files," Hinata reported.

"Has anyone seen Kiro yet?" Yukimura asked as he walked around the main floor.

"Negative. Something seems wrong here, he is supposed to be here by now," Kuuga exclaimed.

Kanou used a small portable 3D printer to scan the fingerprints he found on the desk. While he was working on the safety box his radio emitted static sounds.

 _"We have intruders, search the second and first floor. Block the possible exits. Over."_

He looked out the window and the guards made their way inside. He cursed silently and packed his belongings.

"Abort mission. We are compromised," He heard the footsteps getting closer to the room, he moved a table behind the door and ran to the connecting room. The door was busted open but before they could reach him, Kanou jumped off the balcony.

"I'm driving to the alley in the next street, be there in 10 minutes," he heard Hinata on the other line

With the guards running into the house, he sneaked into backyard and ran to street. Kuuga and Tora arrived at the same time and they all got into the van.

"What the hell happened?" Kuuga asked as tried to catch his breath.

Kanou grabbed the laptop and turned off their mics.

"We have a spy in the group," He looked at all his teammates.

"What are you saying?" Hinata gave him an incredulous look. After working together for six years, it wasn't the time to be suspicious of each other.

"It is not impossible. Takumi left for a month, don't you think he had something to do with this?" Tora asked

They heard gunshots coming their way and Yukimura was running towards their car.

"We are surrounded we have to leave," Kuuga yelled

"Leave. Now," Takumi ordered in the other line.

"Fucking shit," Tora yelled as Hinata slammed on the gas pedal.

 ** _Present_**

Takumi groaned as he put more pressure on his right arm, the gunfire was not stopping and he was being surrounded on both sides. It will only be a matter of time before he gets caught. His grip on the gun tightened, he crouched down and readied himself. His left hand reached for the elixir in his back pocket, he was not planning on getting caught alive. An engine roared from a distance and headed his way, the sound of tires screech became more audible and a van crashed past the gates and started firing at the guards. It stopped in front of Takumi and the back door swung open.

"Get in," he jumped into the back and they drove off.

"How did we get found out?" he took off his blazer and checked his wound.

The group looked at each other they didn't know what to believe anymore. Something went wrong during their mission and the only possible explanation was that someone is working for the other side.

"We think there's a spy," Kanou explained.

"What? That is impossible," Takumi furrowed his brows.

"Was there anything unusual in the field?" Hinata asked still not believing Kanou's speculation.

"None," Yukimura and Tora answered.

Takumi shook his head as he tried to think of anybody he encountered that night. He froze in his spot as he thought of the woman he met earlier, he looked up and met Tora's scrutinising eyes.

"Maria," he muttered in realization.

"Who?"

"I don't know her. I thought I could use her to get close to Kenji but it seems like I was played. She knew who I was," he looked away.

* * *

 _ **May 6, 2016**_

 _ **S.F.I Academy**_

Takumi knocked twice before entering. His team went straight to the academy after their mission to report back and to also get medical attention, they were still uncertain of what happened but one thing he was sure of was that his little friend from last night had something to do with it. His suspicion was right all along.

Tadashi looked up from his paper works and leaned back on his chair. The stern look in his eyes indicated that he has an idea of what happened during the mission.

"Reporting back from mission, Sir," Jiro's gaze was cold and unyielding, different from his calm demeanor.

"You failed," he said

His left hand formed into a fist, there was nothing in this world he hated more than failing but he knew he had to own up to his mistakes and face the consequences even if it will result to his suspension from the institute.

"I am taking all the blame. I was careless, I came in contact with a spy and my identity was recognized."

Jiro raised a brow, "Do you know who the spy was?"

"No, I have never seen her before."

Before he could continue a knock on the door interrupted them.

"Come in," Tadashi called out.

"Reporting back from mission, Sir," Takumi recognized the voice, he whipped his head back and looked at the person joining them.

"You!" they both said.


	3. Suspicions

**Chapter 3: Suspicions**

* * *

 ** _May 5, 2016_**

 ** _10:50 PM_**

 ** _Yamamoto's Mansion_**

"Excuse me for a second," he smiled at them and casually walked away.

Misaki raised her brows in puzzlement as she watched her companion disappear in the crowd. It was a second later when she noticed the slight movement in the room. The securities were moving in from every direction and began blocking the entrance and exit ways. Misaki had the instinct to flee the area but decided to remain in her spot. She couldn't risk exposing her identity.

All the other guests looked around in confusion as the main lights of the room were turned on and the music was cut off. A moment later gunfire was heard coming from the outside and everyone began to panic. Misaki looked around for her team, Sakura was still standing in her post while Shizuko was missing.

"Misaki remain in your spot, we might have another company," she heard Shizuko on the other line.

Kenji stepped up on the podium and calmed everyone down, "I sincerely apologize for the commotion tonight, we didn't expect that we will have some unwanted visitors. It is nothing to worry about, everyone is safe and the security is making sure that the culprits are captured. Please remain inside until we have the situation under control. Thank you for your understanding," one of his bodyguards approached him and whispered into his ear. As he walked towards the security head he casted an eye over Misaki before moving his attention back to them.

After the commotion died down, the guests were escorted out. The number of security has doubled and their targets were nowhere to be found, it was becoming riskier so her team decided to retreat. She walked towards the waiting car and got in along with her team.

"I actually thought we were busted," Sakura said as she slumped back on the backseat.

Misaki shook her head as slipped out of her garter holster to take out her hand gun. "That guy I was with, did you guys get a good look at him?" She had a bad feeling about him.

"No. Who is he?" Sakura went to check the laptop for the pictures they've taken

"He left right when the commotion started," she couldn't shake off the feelings that he wasn't supposed to be there.

"Do you think he was just a civilian?" Shizuko asked

"I don't think so," she furrowed her eyebrows and stared at the pictures they have taken "Run a background check on him. I am sure he is not the guy he was claiming to be."

"Maybe he was trying to assassinate Kenji or Yu," Shizuko pondered.

"Whatever the case, we are so dead," Sakura groaned

 **-xxx-**

 _ **May 6, 2016**_

 _ **S.F.I Academy**_

Misaki knocked on the door and readied herself for the punishment, they might be looking at least a few months of probation but that was the least of her concern. Her biggest worry is what it would do to their reputation, her team were still trying to prove themselves and having a record that they failed a high-level mission will be detrimental for their career.

"Come in," she took a deep breath before opening the door

She walked towards his desk, "Reporting back from mission, Sir," her eyes darted to the other man in the room. His silhouette was oddly familiar, she scrunched her forehead as she got closer to him.

He turned his head around and she met his green pools, "You!" they said in unison.

Misaki pointed a finger at him, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Who the hell are you?" he raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"Well seems like you two already met," Jiro casually said. Both of them focused their attention at Jiro to find some answers.

"Takumi Usui – team leader of Team 3," he pointed at the blonde man she met at the party, "Misaki Ayuzawa - team leader of team 8," she looked back at him with her brows drawn together, "You two have a lot of explaining to do."

"What was she doing at the operation last night?"

"Both of your teams were sent last night to Kenji's event to do separate missions," he got up from his chair and walked around his table.

Misaki shook her head in frustration, "Why didn't you tell us that we had other players?" Their mission would have run smoothly without any problems if they knew what they were up against and what the situation was.

"You had different missions," Jiro sighed in frustration, "Knowing less makes it safer for both of your teams to complete the tasks and prevent anything that will put each of your teams in danger," he crossed his arms and looked at them, "But I guess I was wrong,"

"Tell me what the hell happened last night," his voice raised up.

Takumi was speechless, he glanced at the woman beside him, if she was there for a mission then someone from his team might be working for the other side. He cleared his throat and tried to set aside the thought.

"Kiro wasn't at the party. They knew we were coming, I believe that someone must have tipped them off."

"Are you suggesting that we have a spy?" Jiro's expression faltered in surprise

"Yes, Sir." Takumi clenched his fists once again, he hoped that it wasn't anyone from his team.

He cleared his throat, "What about you, Misaki?"

"Well I am sure that my team had nothing to do with this, one of his people or him must be the one responsible for the failure of the mission," Takumi scoffed after hearing her statement.

"I have been with my team for six years and I can tell you that there's no way that anyone in my team can flip sides," he turned to his right to face her, "How long have you been playing in this field? I don't think you have proven anything yet," Misaki clenched her teeth in anger.

Takumi looked back at Kenji "How sure are you that these people are trustworthy? We were the only teams at the party and somehow, we got discovered. What-" he halted to a stop as he realized what he has said. He didn't know what has gotten into him. Before he could apologize for his impulsiveness, Misaki bursted in anger and grabbed him by the collar.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" the coy and alluring woman from last night was almost unrecognizable as she held him by the collar of his shirt with eyes burning with anger and intent to hurt him

Jiro interjected right away "Stop. Both of you are dismissed, we will talk once you have cleared your heads,"

"OUT!" he yelled.

Takumi silently agreed, he pushed her aside and walked away. He wasn't in the best shape to discuss the events from last night, having the possibility that one of the people he trusts the most have betrayed him again was something he couldn't accept.

He heard footsteps following him and he stopped on his tracks, "Maybe we haven't proven ourselves yet but one thing we are proud of is our principle and loyalty," she said to him

He remained still on his spot, not daring to look back to show her his wavering confidence, "I am willing to sacrifice my life for my team. How about you? How sure are you that you can trust them?"

Takumi sighed before walking away. _How well does he really know them?_ With his head clouded with uncertainties he headed back to their room. Everyone was seated on the dining table when he arrived. As soon as he walked in they called him over.

"Time to tell the truth, Takumi," Tora said.

Takumi lifted a brow as he took a seat, "What do you mean?" he looked at each one of them in confusion

"Are you a spy?" Tora directly asked. Everyone exchanged a look, still unsure of what to believe. Being in the same team for many years, Takumi was the last person they would doubt but because of his suspicious actions they couldn't help but question his loyalty.

Hinata interrupted them, "Let him explain first. Where did you go after our last mission?" he asked.

The look in everyone's faces showed mistrust and doubts, Takumi knew that if he wanted to get to the bottom of this he also need to be honest to them, "I went to England," he explained.

"Did you meet anyone there?" Kuuga inquired.

"No."

Hinata scoffed at his answer, "Then why did you leave without telling us?" he banged his hand on the table.

He realized couldn't keep the secret from them any longer, "To confirm that my father is alive."


	4. Punishment

**Chapter 4: Punishment  
**

* * *

 ** _May 6,2016_**

 ** _S.F.I Academy_**

"To confirm that my father is alive."

There was a slight pause in the room as they all processed the news.

"I thought he died three years ago?" Kanou asked, breaking the silence in the room.

His father has taken some roles selling drugs in his early years and started running his own syndicate when he married his wife and Takumi's mom: Patricia Walker. It was too late when his mother found out what kind of work he was involved in. Patricia couldn't take Takumi with her when she left and Takumi ended up being raised alone by his father. Takumi grew up learning the ropes around the business, he knew what kind of people his dad worked with and what they are capable of.

"But they never found his body," Yukimura recollected.

It was when he turned 16 that he decided to run away. He carefully planned it and Patricia Walker's father took him in. He only met his mother a few times when his father allowed Patricia to see him and she died after giving birth to his stepbrother when he was 10. His grandfather provided for him, he gave him a place to live, sent him to a good school and gave him everything he ever wanted but he never accepted him; after all he was the son of a criminal.

Hinata furrowed his eyebrows, reminiscing the events that took place three years ago, "But it was Tomo's team that raided them during an operation and he said that your father was shot to death," one of the senior team was given a mission to raid an operation led by his father in China and once they caught everybody the building was burnt down to the ground after a mysterious fire.

"He is still alive. Believe me," Even Takumi couldn't wrap his head around the idea that his father is alive.

Tora who stayed silent finally spoke up "How sure are you?"

"I talked to him, " Takumi said recollecting their small encounter during his team's last mission in Thailand where they raided a gun syndicate.

"He ended the call when he realized it wasn't his partner he was talking to. I still wanted to make sure it was him so I went to England to find some answer."

Takumi knew that he needed to handle it on his own, he couldn't put the whole team in danger and he decided to look for him without them knowing.

"I don't know how but he got away and lived in England for a year to recover."

"Did he ever tried to contact your grandfather or any of your relatives?" Yukimura asked.

"No. He knows that once I find out he is alive, I will go after him,"

"Do you think Yu might be back in Japan?" Kuuga inquired.

"During the mission last night, one of Kenji's business partners said that he knew my father," Takumi said

"It is not impossible that they have some people inside our organization," Hinata spoke up, "They probably tipped them off before we even started the mission, "

"I can assure you all that I would never turn sides," Takumi then looked at each one of them "Can I trust all of you?"

"We have been to hell and back, I don't think this is the time to start doubting each other," Yukimura added.

The entire team fell into silence as they recalled all the missions they did together over the years, there have been a lot of instances where they have almost lost their lives and someone from the group sacrificed themselves for their safety. Being on the brink of death is when you will realize who you can trust.

Tora looked at Takumi "No more doubts," and everyone agreed.

Takumi laid down on his bed and stared at the wall of his room as he reminisced all the memories he shared with his father. One of the reasons he probably became what he is now was because he wanted to prove to everyone that he wasn't like his dad. From a perspective of a child, he was a good man, a good husband until they found out his deepest, darkest secret and everything changed. At an early age, his innocent mind got corrupted and tainted with immoral doings and he has one person to blame and despite everything he is still his father.

He closed his eyes and cleared his mind but one thought continued to stick in the back of his mind. How sure was he that he wouldn't turn out the same way? Because after all him and his father are cut from the same cloth.

 ** _May 7, 2016_**

 ** _S.F.I Academy_**

Takumi's team arrived in their meeting room the next day. Three girls were already seated on the other side of the table but only one girl was familiar. Misaki remained aloof while the other girls offered them a small smile. His team took the rest of the available chairs and waited for Jiro's arrival.

Hinata quickly greeted the fresh faces as he took a seat in front of them, "It is nice to meet you guys. I am Hinata, this is my team. Takumi is our leader, this is Kanou, Yukimura, Tora and Kuuga," he pointed at each one of them

Misaki's facial expression softened, "I am Misaki, this is Shizuko and Sakura," they nodded at each other

"It is nice to meet you too, we have heard so much about your team," the perky pink-haired girl said.

"So, you were the other players at Kenji's party?" Kanou asked

Shizuko nodded, "Yeah. We didn't know that they brought in another team as well,"

"One of them is probably a spy," Tora grumbled on the side

Misaki scoffed after hearing his comment, her eyes gleamed with annoyance as she stared him down, before she could reply Jiro entered the room. Takumi couldn't take his eyes off the fiery brunette in front of him. Now that her disguise was gone, she was a complete different person.

Jiro placed his suitcase and folders on the table and took a seat, "I believe that you all know why you are here," he looked over each one of them. They all maintained a blank expression as they readied their selves for their punishment.

"Because of the unfortunate events during your last mission, we have decided to put all of you in probation for three months. You are not allowed to take any big cases and you are expected to stay in the academy under supervision," both groups fell into a shock.

"What?" Tora furrowed his brows, "You can't do that to us"

Everyone began voicing out their objections, "Isn't this too much? We had nothing to do with the failure of the mission, if you are going to punish someone punish the ones responsible for it," Misaki glared at Takumi.

Tora scoffed, "What made you think that we had something to do with last night?"

"Enough," Jiro took a deep breath, the situation was getting out of hand, "Regardless of what happened and whom to blame, you failed the mission and the institution have to clean up your mess. Disciplinary actions must be taken,"

They fell into silence as they all knew the consequences of failing the mission, not only their lives are in danger but also the safety of the whole institute.

"I am giving you a small mission next week. As we have limited cases, we decided to put you in the same case," he paused for a second and waited for any protests.

Misaki furrowed her eyebrows, she already didn't like what she was hearing.

Jiro continued, "There is a drug dealership in a small town in Osaka. They are selling drugs to the locals particularly to the minors. Your mission is to find the source and make an arrest."

"This is a child's play," Kuuga complained, "Even the freshmen can do this by themselves."

"Like I said this is your punishment, you have no say in this. The boards have already decided," Jiro glanced at Misaki, he waited for her to yell or threaten him like she usually does but instead she stood up from her spot and walked out.

"Misaki," Sakura called out, she excused herself and followed Misaki.

The rest of the people remained in their chairs as the door closed harshly on them.

* * *

 ** _May 16, 2016_**

 ** _Golden View Motel_**

 ** _Osaka, Japan_**

Misaki paced back and forth as she checked the clock once again.

"Relax, they will be here," Shizuko reassured her.

Sakura peeked from the window of their room. The sun was already rising and they were running behind from their agenda, they arrived earlier than the set time while the other team was supposed to be there twenty minutes ago.

Misaki sat on the chair by the window and closed her eyes in frustration, "We are leaving in 15 minutes, we can't stay in this room the whole day,"

The door rustled open and they instinctively reached for their gun, Takumi's team entered the room casually and gave them a brief acknowledgement.

Misaki concealed her gun and walked up to them, "You are late!" she hissed

"We scouted the town first before coming here," Yukimura explained as he dropped their bags on the bed.

Misaki looked at them in disbelief, "What? We agreed that my team will do that after our meeting."

"Why are you getting mad? We just made your life much easier," Kuuga rolled his eyes and plopped down on the empty bed. Misaki clenched her fists in annoyance but decided to stay quiet.

The rest of the guys started preparing, they took out all of their weapons and organized it on the bed. Kanou loaded the guns and passed it to each one of them while Misaki and her team watched from the corner of the room.

Kanou passed the gun to Kuuga, "I don't need one," he waved his hand.

Kanou looked at Tora "How about you?"

"No, thank you," Tora leaned on the wall near the door and looked away

Shizuko and Sakura glanced at their team leader in concern, Misakis face reddened as she watched the rest of the guys relaxing without any care about their mission.

"Did you guys come here to play?" Misaki asked, the boys stopped what they were doing and sneaked a quick look at her.

"If you are not going to take this seriously then just leave, I don't want to get in trouble because of your stupid asses again,"

Takumi went back on cleaning his gun while the rest of them ignored her except for Yukimura who tried to calm her down

"Misaki, we are taking this seriously," he glanced at his team "I will apologize for my team's behaviour-"

"Yukimura don't apologize, this is an easy job. Tell them to go home we can handle it from here," Kuuga said as he got comfortable on the bed.

"Hey, the reason we are here is because of your team," Shizuko spoke up

Misaki chuckled in disbelief, she couldn't believe she will be risking their reputation again because of a bunch of narcissistic men who think they are more superior because they worked longer in the field, "I think it will be best if we go our separate ways. I don't think I can work with you," Misaki grabbed her bags and the girls followed suit.

"Do you guys want to make a bet?" Kuuga asked as the girls walked past him, "Who do you think will get the bad guy first?" he smirked at their direction

Tora stepped up and blocked their way "I bet we will get them faster," he grinned.

"Get out of my way or I will shoot you on the face," Misaki warned him. Tora remained unfazed and his grin became wider. Takumi stood up from the floor and pulled Tora away.

"Just let them go."

He locked eyes with her for a second before she walked out with her team following behind. A sigh escaped his lips as the door closed before them.

Misaki loaded their bags in the trunk of the car, "So, what do we know so far?" she asked while her team looked over the folder they were given during the briefing. She was confident that her team could handle this case alone.

"The transactions are made in the plaza where most of the locals hang out. We just have to find the right guy," Sakura replied.

"Shizuko and I will ask around, I bet it will be easier to go in a smaller team. Sakura stay in the car and we will make an arrest after we make a deal,"

Sakura dropped them off in front of a shopping mall and Shizuko spotted a couple of students smoking weed outside of a clothing store. She elbowed Misaki and they approached the students

"Hey, are guys selling weed?" Misaki asked up-front.

"No," they disregarded her and returned to their conversation.

Shizuko cut in "Do you know where we can buy?"

The student sighed in annoyance "Go to Caroline's Diner, it is just right over there beside the gasoline store. Look for Mark,"

"Thanks," Misaki looked at Shizuko and shrugged "That was easy,"

The diner was full of college students and other local teens, it was a great location for business and a suitable place to distribute marijuana to unsuspecting teenagers. They asked a waitress for a guy named Mark and she pointed at the booth located at the back near the kitchen.

As they approached the table, they saw a young man in his early twenties talking to two other guys with familiar faces. Takumi and Yukimura looked up from their table.

Takumi had an annoying smirk on his face as he watched them approach Mark.

Mark noticed them and gave them a big smile "Hey ladies, what can I do for you?"

"We are here to buy," Misaki took out a couple of hundreds and laid it on the table

Takumi rolled his eyes at her tactless move, Mark raised his eyebrows in doubt "What are you a cop?"

Misaki froze for a second and he started laughing, "You look so serious, relax for a moment,"

"They are my friends," Takumi said and Mark nodded his head.

"Are you the only seller?" Misaki continued her interrogation, she put her hand in her pockets and reached for her handgun. She thought that it would be an easy arrest since he was alone. Takumi noticed her movement and quickly pulled her towards his seat.

"What are you doing?" she mumbled as she tried to get away from him, Misaki became flushed as Mark furrowed his brows at their dubious actions. Takumi tightly held her hand and she finally stayed still beside him.

Mark leaned forward and scrutinized Misaki "Who are you guys? I have never seen you in town before,"

Before Misaki could answer Takumi cut her off, "We are visiting our Aunt and they will be gone for the weekend. We are throwing a party and our friends are driving here from the other town. We can't have some fun without these," Takumi slightly tossed a small bag he acquired from a couple of teenagers

Marks lips stretched to a smile "That sounds like a lot of fun, do I get an invite?"

"Sure, I will send you the address later,"

"Cool. I don't have any with me right now but I can meet you later at the plaza. Do you know where the fountain is?" they nodded, "I will meet you there at 9 pm,"

They quietly walked five blocks to an abandoned building where Sakura and the rest of Takumi's team parked their cars. As Misaki approached their vehicle, Takumi marched up to her and pushed her against the passenger door, Misaki who was taken a back by his surprise attack was easily restrained as he placed his right arm across her neck and put all his weight against her to prevent her from getting away. The rest of the group watched from the side knowing that they couldn't do anything else but let them talk it out.

"If you don't cooperate, we are going to get busted," he threatened. With her emotions clouding her judgement, she was becoming careless and indiscreet, "We have to work together."

Misaki scowled at him "I don't trust you,"

"Bad news. I don't trust you too," he loosened his hold on her "but we have to set aside our problems. If you want to finish this mission start acting like a player and quit being a brat. We all don't want to be here but we have no choice,"

"Fine," she glared at him "Just get off me," he stepped away from her

"Let's go Sakura, Shizuko," she went inside the car.

"We will meet you guys back here at 21:00," Shizuko said as she closed the passenger door.

"Let's hope that they actually cooperate," Hinata mumbled as they watched their car drive off.


	5. Training

**Chapter 5: Training  
**

* * *

 ** _May 16, 2016_**

 ** _Caso Plaza_**

 ** _Osaka, Japan_**

Mark was sitting alone on a bench opposite to the fountain. Most of the stores has closed down except for the bars nearby and other fast food chains. A few locals were still strolling around and the others are clustered in groups, hanging out outside a nearby bar and smoking the illegal drugs.

The four of them approached him together while the rest of their teams were on standby. Mark waved as soon as he spotted them. He was carrying a small box with him which they assumed was the illegal drugs.

"You are here alone?"

Mark passed him the small box, "Yeah. My friends had to go somewhere."

Misaki reached for her gun to make the arrest but Takumi grabbed her hand and shook his head after noticing that they weren't alone.

"Hey," two men approached Mark, Misaki and the others nodded at them in acknowledgement.

"I didn't know you will show up," one of them patted Mark on the shoulder and stood beside him

"We just sold all of my inventory to this guy from out of town," he scratched the back of his head, "Are you done here?"

"Almost," Mark looked at Takumi, waiting for his payment.

"How long have you guys been doing this?" Takumi asked as he passed him the money

"About 3 years now," he proudly said. Takumi glanced at each one of them and discreetly nodded.

"Well that's too bad because its going to end today," Shizuko said as they all reached for their guns and pointed at them.

"Hands up where I can see them."

"Shit," Mark mumbled

The other guys tried to take off but Yukimura and Shizuko were fast on their feet and tackled them on the ground. A second later Kanou and Kuuga joined in and helped with the arrest

Takumi helped Mark stand up and handcuffed his hands, he looked at Takumi with disdain, "I trusted you buddy."

The other man tried to get away, "I swear we are not doing anything wrong,"

"Explain that to the cops," Shizuko roughly handled the other guys and seated them on the bench as they waited for the police to arrive. They have gathered the attention of the locals as they began gathering around the scene while the other locals carrying the illegal substance has fled the area once the police cars started pulling into the plaza.

Misaki let the cops take over and walked back to her car when she spotted Takumi waiting alone outside their car. She avoided his stare and went straight to her car. Before she could open the door, she looked up and stared at his figure, a heavy sigh escaped her lips as she thought of their encounters and her brash actions. She hesitated at first but decided to not let her ego get in the way.

"Sorry for how I acted today," he looked at her with a blank expression. His green pools boring into hers as he assessed her sincerity.

She knew she let her emotions get the better of her and it greatly affected her judgement. She became careless and almost got all of them in trouble. Out of all people she should know how dangerous it is to be controlled with your emotions and how it could put everyone's life at risk but even after many years of training despite how hard she tries to push back this other side of her, she was still the sensitive and emotional girl from 10 years ago.

The corner of his mouth turned up, "I said some awful things too," he extended his right hand. "Truce"

"Truce," she shook his hands "For now," she smirked, "I still don't trust you," she walked back to her car

Takumi chuckled and shook his head, "I don't trust you too," he called out to her

 **-xxx-**

 ** _May 23, 2016_**

 ** _S.F.I Academy_**

"Over here," Kuuga called out as they entered the cafeteria.

Hinata ran to their table and put down his tray "They still have sloppy joes," he grinned excitedly at them. It has been a while since they had a meal together at the academy. The return to the academy once in a while to report back or for training but since they were promoted to level 5 mission team they have been deployed to different parts of the world for the last year.

Yukimura joined them and sat beside Takumi to deliver the news, "We have a meeting with Jiro after your training."

"Always looking forward to our meetings," Hinata sighed as he took another bite from his sandwich.

The cafeteria was full of students since it was in the middle of the day. Their happy and enthusiastic faces showed how ready they are to take in and save the world. Takumi shook his head in pity. He wishes he still had the same enthusiasm as these students like before.

The entire room was buzzing with different conversations, but one particular topic kept coming up.

"The demon is back," they overhead the passing student groaned

"This is going to be a rough week," his friend complained

"Who is the demon?" Hinata asked curiously.

"She is the head trainer, she was on a mission for a couple of months and returned today," Kanou informed them as he took the empty spot beside Hinata.

"I heard she's very scary," Yukimura added

The clock strike at 12:30 pm and the bell rung. The students began clearing out as they headed to their classes.

"I guess that's my cue. Later,"

Takumi took his time walking, it was a nice feeling to be able to roam the academy again. It has been more than five years since he had the time to wander in the halls. He had a lot of good memories in the academy. It was the first time he found a home, a place where he was accepted and a place where his past was forgotten.

He was recruited when he was 18 years old, he was in the brink of following his father's footstep when a cop helped him and told him he could become a different person. He became part of the institute and started studying at the academy to become an undercover agent.

Most of the students have already gathered in the middle of the field when he arrived. He decided to stand at the back and waited for instructions. Even after graduating the agents are still required to do a monthly training once every year to sharpen and practice their skills. A scheduled training sessions and drills are organized specifically for each team to strengthen their skills but since he missed his sessions they couldn't do anything else but put him to train with other students.

"Everyone take your seat while I explain how today's training will work," the familiar voice commanded

They sat on the grass and he got a better look of the head trainer. She stood beside a small blackboard and blew her whistle.

He groaned in disbelief "You gotta be kidding me," he mumbled.

She locked eyes with him and frowned "You there, blondie," she pointed at him "since you were 5 min late, run 50 laps."

He arched his brows, "I was only 5 min late and you haven't even started yet."

"I already finished the attendance and if you can't even follow a simple rule how are you going to learn." she crossed her arms, "Fine," and her lips broke into a mischievous grin "Run 100 laps and come see me after."

"Are you serious?"

"Well that is for talking back to me," she glared at him, "100 laps. NOW!"

Everyone chuckled as they shook their heads at him, they all seemed to know what was coming if they defied the head instructor, "That's why you should never piss off the devil," one of the students whispered.

He exhaled loudly and walked to the tracks to begin his laps.

Misaki's lips stretched to a smile, she focused her attention back to the rest of her students, "and for the rest of you, we will begin by doing some drills and relays. Follow the list," she pointed at the blackboard "after your relays we will meet back into the main gym for your combat training," Everyone groaned

"Did I hear you guys complain?" Misaki asked

"No ma'am."


	6. A New Start

**Chapter 6: A New Start  
**

* * *

 ** _May 23, 2016_**

 ** _S.F.I Academy_**

"We will have a one on one match today," she hid a small smile as everyone exchanged looks of discomfort and worry. Misaki cleared her throat and walked inside the semicircle the students formed and stepped onto the mats laid in the middle.

"You can use whatever method or technique you know, whatever it will take to defeat me. Your only objective is make my back touch the ground, if you win you will be exempted of the punishment,"

Misaki faced them, she extended her index finger and beckoned the student sitting first in the semicircle. The student nervously glanced at his seatmate and his friend gave him a reassuring nod. He stood up and stepped onto the mat to face her. Misaki rolled up her shoulders and stretched her arms across her body.

She gave him a sinister smile, "Ready?" she asked and widened her stance.

He slightly nodded and copied her posture, Misaki advanced towards him while the student kept his distance away from her. They walked around into a circle as Misaki continued to prey on him.

"Are we going to do this the entire day?"

A few students whispered their concern while Takumi couldn't help but smirk after seeing this side of her, she continues to surprise him with her personality. She initiated the first move and attacked him, the student immediately ran back out of the mat. A few students laughed while most felt sympathetic towards him.

"Again." Misaki called him over.

"You can do it Myukie," the other students encouraged

He took a deep breath and stepped back into the mat. He slowly moved forward and approached Misaki, he summoned some courage and reached for her arm to haul her over. She counteracted and pushed him down the ground with ease.

"That is your move?" she was dissatisfied, "Next," she looked at the next student.

Ten students later and nobody was close to being able to beat her. She counteracted and dodged all of their moves. She displayed her skills in various kinds of martial arts which came in handy when it was her turn to strike.

Misaki folded her arms across her chest and shook her head in displeasure, "I am very disappointed in all of you today, have the academy not taught you enough?"

She made sure to look at each one of them intensely, some of them avoided her stares and some stared back with guilt. Her eyes landed on a pair of emerald eyes, he gawked at her with an impassive look and yawned, her eyebrows shot up.

"Am I boring you Takumi Usui?"

He woke up from his trance and looked back at her.

"No. I actually enjoy watching you kick all of these guy's butts, I just had a long night," he yawned once more.

This irritated her more, "Well, why don't you show me what you got. Your next," she positioned herself in the middle. Takumi strode into the mat and stood in front of her.

"Glad to show you," he smirked

"You are pretty cocky, huh," she lowered herself and brought up her hands.

He stepped to his left as Misaki slowly walked closer to him, "Let's say I am confident in some ways."

Misaki snorted and attacked, she delivered a punch to his throat and he dodged it effortlessly

"Is that all you've got Misa-chan," he taunted.

She glowered at his incitement and reached for his arm, she twisted it around and brought up her knee to hit his stomach, "Don't call me that again,"

He muffled a groan, "Not bad," Takumi reached down his stomach and slightly massaged it. That will leave a bruise tomorrow.

A triumphant smile formed on her lips, "Come on, give me your best shot. Stop dodging me,"

"I am a gentleman. I don't like hurting women, especially beautiful ones,"

"Ha. Screw you," She swung her right leg towards his sides but he caught her leg and secured his left arm around her thighs while he used his leg to trip her left foot. At the same time Misaki got his neck on a headlock and they both dropped down on the ground. She groaned and let go of his head while Takumi lifted himself up and used his palms to support his weight to look at her.

"I win," he smirked, "Can we stay in this position forever?" he lowered himself to her.

Misaki flushed as she realized the proximity of their body, she pushed him off and sat up. Takumi chuckled at her action and stood up. She ignored the hand he offered and got back on her feet. Misaki faced her students with a red face, "Next," she glared at him.

The entire room erupted into cheers as he went back to his seat. Misaki became more irritated, she compensated by throwing the rest of her students down on the ground. Hard.

As the rest of the class got readied to start their 100 laps. Takumi approached Misaki

"Are you okay?" he stood beside her. She ignored him and continued signing and checking her students' report cards.

"Yeah, I am fine,"

"You don't sound too fine," he teased once again.

The pen stopped moving as her grip tightened, "I said I am fine,"

"It was a simple match," he sat on the table nonchalantly.

"You are always trying to outdo me and it is pissing the crap out of me,"

"I didn't know Misa-chan is a sore loser,"

She gaped at him in shock, "Did you just call me a sore loser?"

"Will hitting me make you feel better?

"What?" she frowned at him

"Hit me," he got off the table and stood in front of her. She lifted a brow and without any warning she delivered a punch to his gut.

The impact made Takumi bend forward as he cradled his stomach "Argh,"

Misaki gaped at him for a second then bursted out laughing "Sorry these last few days has been very frustrating. I guess that was for your team too. All of you are very infuriating," She patted his shoulder and continued to laugh, "That helped a lot, thanks."

"Anytime," He didn't expect that she would actually hit him but a small smile formed on his lips, it was the first time he heard her laugh and it was melody to his ears.

"Are you okay?" she tried to hold back her laugh as she watched him in pain

"I will be fine," he straightened his back and continued on, trying to ignore the sharp shooting pain on his gut.

Misaki went back to signing her reports while shaking her head amusedly, Takumi remained quiet and sat on the table while waiting for her. She arranged her papers when she saw on her peripheral vision Takumi poking his belly and slightly groaning. A small chuckle escaped her throat, he stopped what he was doing and looked at her

"What?" She shook her head and finished up with her report.

"Ready?" He asked while she put away her folders back into her bag.

"Yeah," he walked ahead of her while she lagged behind. She clutched her gym bag as she watched him from behind. She couldn't help but admit that her first impression of him was wrong after all. They were all put in a complicated situation and with the institutes safety on the line they all reacted impulsively and faith in each other was tested. She couldn't blame him for acting the way he did.

She caught up to him and reached out for his arm, he stopped on his tracks and turned around to face her.

Her hand dropped down to her sides while she looked down the floor, "I know we didn't get off with a good start but I hope that we will be able to put aside our differences and start over again," if they will be working together again the only logical solution was to get along with him and his team to avoid anymore risk of putting everyone's life in danger.

Takumi smiled at her and patted her on the head "I would like that." Misaki looked up and stared back at his emerald eyes. She blinked herself out of her daze and immediately looked away.

He walked ahead, "Hurry up, they are closing the building in 5 minutes," he called out, she got flustered and began walking.

They walked out the gym together and passed by the office building when he saw his team talking to a group of people. He smelled trouble all the way from where he was standing.

"Misaki, I will talk to you later," he quickly bid his farewell and ran into the building

Before she could reply he was already running towards the administrative building.

 **-x-**

"We are being deployed to Hong Kong to go after Kiro. Don't worry, we will clean up your mess and finish the mission," the tall man with glasses patted Tora's shoulder.

"I never expected anything from this group of incompetent people anyway," his team laughed alongside him.

Tora scoffed and grabbed him by the collar "What did you say?"

He became tense and tried to push Tora away, "W-what are you doing?"

Takumi quickly interjected and pulled him away

He released a sigh of relief and composed himself once again, "Well look who joined us," he fixed his glasses and slightly straightened out his crumpled shirt, "Pleasure to see you again, Takumi."

"What do you want?" Takumi faced Kyoya.

He put his hands in his front pockets and the corner of his mouth quirked into a mocking smile, "You know your team is the laughing stock of the academy,"

Takumi' clenched his fist in annoyance, "If you have nothing else to say just leave,"

"Don't worry nobody really expected a lot from you, we all knew you are going to fail," he grinned

"Shut the fuck up," Kuuga made his way towards Kyoya. Takumi put his hands on his shoulders to stop him. Getting into a physical fight was the last thing they needed after being put into probation.

Instead he faced Kyoya and smirked, "How much did daddy pay to let you have some time to play out in the field?"

Kyoya's chortled in response and Kyoya's face reddened in humiliation, he pointed a finger at Takumi and his team, "I will get you kicked out, all of you,"

"Will your daddy sue us too for making you cry?" Tora asked mockingly

"Break it off," Jiro bellowed over the commotion. He leaned back on the doorway and looked at them with exhaustion.

Kyoya scowled at them before leaving with his posse following behind.

Jiro let the boys into his office and sighed, "Haven't you learned your lesson yet?"

"You are letting those guys take over our mission? Are you out of you mind?" Kuuga asked in disdain.

"It is the director's order. I don't have any say in this and if you didn't fail the mission then we wouldn't be having this conversation," Kuuga became quiet and sat back down.

Jiro fired up his computer and went back to business, "We have a special assignment for you, I know you are still under probation but we need a special team to handle this case."

The boys perked up and showed their excitement forgetting about the clash from earlier, "Back to the big game," Hinata smirked in delight

"The minister is getting married on Saturday and they have been receiving some death threats. There might be a possible bombing or assassination since a lot of member of the government will be attending the event," they nodded in understanding.

"Your job is to survey the area and take out people that poses as a threat to the safety of the guests. But you can't do this alone. We are sending you a back up team," the door creaked open and the girls walked in.

"You called us in?" Misaki asked

"I need your cooperation to work together again," Jiro said.


	7. Keep your guard up

**Chapter 7: Keep Your Guard Up**

* * *

 ** _May 28, 2016_**

 ** _Pacific Grand Hotel_**

The day before the operation both teams checked into the hotel where the wedding reception will be held. The hotel was scoped and surveyed for any planted explosives, cameras were also placed at the exits and entrances of the halls to keep an eye on every move of everyone in the hotel. But with three hundred guests and one hundred staff members, it will a much more difficult job to do.

On the day of the operation, the wedding ceremony concluded without any hitch. With a smaller area to secure and with limited guests, it was much easier to contain the situation and prevent any dilemmas. Takumi and Tora was part of the minister's entourage to make sure he was well protected since he was the number one target of the supposedly hit man. Since he helped pass a legislation in the government, a few influential criminals have put a bounty on his head therefore endangering his life.

After the wedding, the security team met up with the two teams to go over their strategies and came up with an emergency plan in case something unexpected occur. The difficult part of their assignment will start during the reception. With a larger area to cover and over three hundred civilians to scrutinize, it will be much easier for people to walk in and out of the function undetected but with the security team in full alert it will be more difficult for the supposedly suspects to get in.

With everything set, they all got ready for the big event. The girls returned to their own room and changed their attires. Shizuko wore a purple flowy dress and sported a pixie cut hairstyle, she replaced her eye glasses with a pair of contacts and opted for a natural look. On the other hand, Sakura wore a baby pink cocktail dress and put her curly hair down. Misaki dyed her hair back to dark raven and straightened her wavy locks. She chose to wear a fitted black dress that stopped a few inches above her knees and paired it with a black stiletto. She completed her look with a nude eye makeup with bold red lips.

They all headed to the hall together to blend in with the guests. Guests were starting to pour in and with the security thoroughly inspecting each guest, the line moved very slow and the outside hallway became crowded. On her turn, Misaki casually opened her clutch which contained a handgun and couple of cartridges. Yukimura quickly looked through it and let her pass through.

"Enjoy the party," he said. She gave him a small smile and walked into the hall. She paused for a minute as she took in the appearance of the ballroom. The once dull and empty room was decorated with such elegance that she sighed in amazement. A big chandelier hung on the ceiling, located in the middle and four huge lavender fabrics draped down from the ceiling to the corners of the room. All the tables were covered with white linen and were decorated with a tall glass vase with white hydrangea and candlelight's as centerpieces. The table of the bride and grooms matched the theme with lavender covers and light settings, it was located on the man-made stage right at the very front with the bridesmaids and grooms' men's table.

Misaki walked towards the bar as she continued to bask in the beauty of the room while the rest of the girls went to their posts. The guests were slowly occupying the venue, a few were clustered in groups as they greeted each other and socialized, unwary of the fact that their lives might be in danger. With many politicians and important people in the hall, the hotel was also packed with bodyguards in standby. It will be more difficult for someone to create a disturbance with everyone on their guards. But working for 2 years in the field she realized that anything is possible as long as the person has a motive. Her thoughts were cut short when she heard someone speak.

"Rough night?" The husky voice muttered on her right. A smile graced her lips as she remembered the same incident a few weeks earlier.

"You have no idea," He broke into a smile as she faced him.

"You look beautiful tonight, I almost didn't recognize you,"

"It is probably the hair," his gaze shifted to her hair.

"I like it,"

She smiled from his compliment and looked back at the crowd. He continued to study her face, admiring her beauty from the side.

"Dance with me?"

She crossed her arms and arched her brows, reliving their first encounter. They both had different agendas at the time, it might not have been the most ideal way to meet someone but it sure made a great impression on both of them.

"Remember the last time you asked me to dance?" she cocked her head to the side.

"It is different this time," he winked and extended his hand to her, despite shaking her head in disbelief she took his and they moved to the floor with a few other couples.

He placed his hands on the small of her back, "You were seducing me that day,"

"I did not do such thing," she laughed, it was becoming easier to joke around with him.

"Hair flipping, batting your eyes at me. You were totally attracted to me," he moved his eyebrows suggestively.

"Required for the job," she smirked at him. Never in her life would she actually do that in real life.

"Are you saying that you are doing your job now? Because in real life you are aloof and cruel but in the field, you act sweet and flirty,"

She pulled him closer and while staring into his eyes she kicked him on the shin, "What do you think?"

"Yup. Still you," He slightly winced then buried his face on her shoulder while chuckling. His lips graced her exposed neck and her skin tingled in response. She felt her skin become hotter, deciding to not show him her vulnerable side, she hid her face on his shoulder and he smiled warmly at her actions.

"It is much easier to be liked with this façade," she sighed as she held her head up. She couldn't possibly show her vicious side during their missions. It was hard at first to act sweet and innocent in front of her targets without pulling out the gun to shoot them on the face. It took a lot of self control but she eventually got the hang of it.

"For what it is worth, I like your cruel side as well," he whispered to her ears. Her head moved to the side as his breath tickled her, she gripped his shoulders tighter and he grinned in satisfaction.

"Am I turning you on?" she rolled her eyes and shoved him to put some distance between them.

"No," but her face said other wise.

"Are you guys fucking flirting right now?" Kuuga asked on the other line "We are in the middle of a mission,"

They almost forgot that there were people that could hear them as well. Misaki realizing her action quickly looked away in embarrassment

"Save it for later," Tora exclaimed.

"We know," Takumi exhaled as the others laughed in response. The jokes were put aside as Kanou cut in their conversation.

"Stand in position. They are entering the venue," Kanou alerted them. Misaki pulled out from his hold to recollect herself and focus on her task, it wasn't the right time to get distracted. The dance floor cleared out and they all took their seats

"Ladies and gentlemen let me introduce you Mr. and Mrs. Eito Fujioka," the host introduced the married couple. The white door on the left corner of the room opened, it was decorated with flowers and silk streaming on the sides to a floral arch. An upbeat song played as the bride and groom danced their way inside, the guests erupted into cheers. Misaki fell in silence as she watched the bride move in her elegant white dress.

The couple stood at the front and gave a small speech, "I would just like to thank you all for coming to take part in this wonderful occasion with me and my beautiful wife. I hope that you enjoy the night," he handed back the mic to the host.

"Please take your seats as they take their first dance as a married couple," hand in hand they stepped onto the dance floor. As their wedding song began playing, the floor lighted up with different colors. A slight yearning crossed Misaki's eyes as she watched the couple happily swaying, lost in each other's eyes. She wondered if she will ever find someone to spend the rest of her life with. With the kind of job, she was in, is it ever possible to settle down and have a family? Her gaze moved to the blonde guy sitting on her left. She caught on with the reality and mentally slapped herself for putting unrealistic ideas in her head. She focused her attention back to the couple and set aside the thought, she promised herself that she will never make the same mistake that her parents did before.

As the night slowly come to an end, there was no sign of any problem. They slowly relaxed in their seats and gradually let their selves enjoy the party. The best man and the maid of honor gave a speech, letting in the guests with the couple's love story and how they fell in love with each other while adding in some quirky jokes here and there. The reception went to an emotional turn as the parents gave their final speech. It made Misaki think of her late parents, they wouldn't even be able to see her if she ever gets married. The wedding sure took her to an emotional roller coaster ride, she laughed silently.

After the meals and cutting the cake, the program ended and the floor was left to the guests. Music began playing and the guests started gathering on the dance floor. Everyone was enjoying themselves and drinking the night away when a loud shot thundered over the music and a couple of guests let out a shriek. Three more shots followed and the music was cut off. The screams of terror enveloped the walls of the venue. The security and both teams were caught off guard. Some guests and staff took cover behind the tables while the others made a run for it, with gunshots firing from every direction it was hard to decipher how many suspects there were.

Shizuko spotted a man pulling out his gun from the next table, aiming for a government official hiding behind the table on her right. She pulled out her hand gun and shot the gun out of his hand.

"What is the status?" Misaki asked as she looked around for the minister. Her main priority was to get him out of there safely.

"There's more than one shooter," Hinata informed them. With many civilians still trapped inside, it was hard for them to aim at the suspects.

Misaki and Takumi was luckily seated near the stage. She spotted the minister squatted down at one of the champagne table with the bride looking at the scene in front of them in bewilderment. It was then when she noticed a red laser pointing at his head, without thinking she hastily ran to his side and pushed both of them out of the way, the shooter missed and hit the wall behind them.

"What is happening?" Eito asked in confusion

"I will explain later, lets get you both to safety first," with the gun fires mostly coming from the back of the room, she figured that they can escape from the exit near them.

"We caught two shooters," she heard from the other line.

"There's one more."

Misaki felt a strong torso come in contact with her back followed by a gunshot, her eyes widened in shock as she looked back at the person collapsed on the floor.

"Takumi," her voice trembled.


	8. Confusion and uncertainty

**Chapter 8: Confusion and Uncertainty  
**

* * *

 ** _May 28, 2016_**

 ** _Pacific Grand Hotel_**

The gun fires and screams took everyone by surprise, Takumi and Misaki quickly took cover behind their table as they tried to assess the situation. They waited for the information from the security team and their members who were assigned on securing the vicinity.

"How many are there?" Takumi asked.

Yukimura and Kanou rushed in from their designated posts while everyone was in chaos. The staff and guests ran the opposite direction to safety. Screams and gun fires resonated on the walls of the venue while the securities and the rest of the teams tried to execute their emergency plan, however nobody expected that more than one shooter passed through the security without being detected moreover openly fire close to the civilians.

"Still not sure," Kuuga reported as he made his way out from the security room and to the venue. People were rushing out to the hallway and were in frenzy as more shots were fired inside. The securities have closed the door from the outside to make sure that the suspects wouldn't be able to go out; leaving one door open and guarded while Yukimura and Kanou assisted out the remaining individuals trapped inside. A few other bodyguards stirred commotion as they tried to force their way in to protect their employers.

"I took down one shooter from the south-west location," Shizuko conveyed to the teams while she restrained the unknown man.

Takumi peered up from his position. For a moment the room became quiet, with the room almost deserted, it was easier to spot the shooters who have also taken cover. The remaining guests were down on the floor, too scared to make a move. Kanou and Yukimura stood behind the columns while the rests were safely hidden somewhere in the vicinity. With the still eeriness, he felt Misaki scramble up beside him. She ran to the minister who was concealed behind the huge champagne table, a red laser pointing at his head. Misaki tackled him out of the way and the bullet hit the wall behind them. Takumi not having enough time to react followed the direction from where the red laser was coming from.

"We have another shooter at the second floor," he relayed the information.

"Copy that," Tora responded,

"On our way," Kuuga replied.

"We already caught the two shooters, there's one more left," Shizuko reported as the securities helped make the arrest.

"Tell the securities to meet us by the exit door on the north-east. We will get the minister and his wife out," Misaki nodded at Takumi. He creeped to her side to help her evacuate when he noticed the red laser aiming at Misaki's head this time. Without weighing his options, he lunged at her and shielded her back with his. Time seemed to slow down as he felt the impact, the sharp pain in his back sent him forward and down on the floor.

"Takumi," her voice trembled as she hastily crouched down beside him. Her mind went completely blank as she reached out to check his wound. Only a second has passed and the back of his tuxedo was already soaked with blood. Another bullet fired at their direction and she woke up from her trance. Her hold on the gun tightened as she gave him another look over with a pained expression before making her way back to the minister. She needed to put her work first before anything else even if it was against her will. She loaded her gun and pointed at the direction where the bullet came from. She fired twice before moving from their spot towards the exit leaving the wounded Takumi alone.

"Takumi's been shot, I need a back up," Sakura who was near her location rushed to her side. Misaki guarded as they all made their way towards the exit door. As soon as they were taken away, Misaki ran back inside.

"He is on the run, block the exits," Kuuga reported on the other line. Tora and Kuuga was in hot pursuit while Shizuko and Hinata followed for support.

"We have 7 guests who got shot. Two in critical condition," Yukimura reported as he helped evacuate the rests of the guests and staff with the help of the other guards.

"The paramedics are on their way, Misaki," Sakura said.

She could hear the other team constructing a plan to catch the last suspect but every noise around was dulled out as she focused her attention on him.

"Takumi don't you dare die on me," she hissed as she shook him awake, with her vast knowledge in first aid; she sat him up carefully, making sure to not inflict any damage in his spinal cord. She reached for the table linen and cut a big chunk of fabric.

"Show some compassion at least," he groaned as the pain intensified. He could feel himself loosing consciousness.

"You stupid shit. Why did you take a bullet for me?"

"I didn't want anything to happen to you," her hand froze as his words took her by surprise. Putting aside his confession, she carefully removed his tux and unbuttoned his dress shirt.

"Well aren't we moving a bit too fast," he muttered despite having difficulty to speak.

"It is not the time to joke around," her hold on his shirt tightened

A distressed laugh came out of his throat, "I am just trying-," he stopped mid sentence as he gazed at her. Sweaty face, creased forehead and eyes welling up with tears. With the remaining energy he has, he brought up his hand and wiped the tear falling down her cheeks.

"I am not going to die," he assured her.

"Stop moving. You are losing so much blood," she pushed his hands away and tightly wrapped the cloth horizontally around his chest. Misaki applied more pressure on his back and checked his pulse, her eyes narrowed in alarm as its beat gradually weakened.

"Stay awake," she commanded, her hold on him was becoming desperate.

"Takumi!" her distraught voice was the last thing he heard before darkness enveloped him.

 **-xx-**

 ** _May 29, 2016_**

 ** _Tokyo General Hospital_**

After her meeting with Jiro she immediately went to the hospital to check on Takumi. Luckily, they pulled through the mission. The three shooters were captured and was currently being held under investigation, it was still a mystery who their accomplice was and how they were able to get past the very tight security. With so many strange incidents during their assignments for the last few weeks, it is not impossible to rule out the possibility that they may have a spy in the institute.

Once Takumi lost consciousness the paramedics arrived and rushed him to the hospital with the rest of the injured guests. The teams had to report back to Jiro and met up with him the next morning for a full statement. With the interrogations and meetings, she never had the chance to check up on him right away.

She stopped in front of a white door and knocked twice before entering. He was seated up with his glasses on, reading a book. He was hooked up with a blood transfusion and an IV bag, a monitor was placed on his right that checks his vitals. Even in a hospital gown and untidy appearance he still looked pretty damn good.

"You finally visited me," he smiled as he closed his book. She remained aloof as she looked him over, her eyes darted to the untouched tray of food on the table next to his bed and her brows furrowed.

"You didn't eat yet?" she asked with a slightest hint of annoyance

"I don't feel like eating," he said nonchalantly

"You have to eat,"

"I will eat if you feed me," she narrowed her eyes at him and sighed, this was the least she could do for him.

She pulled a chair beside him and put the tray in front of him, "Fine."

The soup has cooled quiet a bit, she shook her head at his stubbornness. The room became quiet as she fed him, only the beeping sound of the machine and clanking of the spoon could be heard.

"I am sorry," she moved the spoon to his mouth, breaking the silence.

He raised his eyebrow as he analyzed her words, "Sorry for what?"

Misaki avoided his inquisitive stare, how could she possibly convey her true feelings. She was angry at herself, angry at him for risking his life for her and at the same time thankful for his sacrifice.

"Sorry for not visiting much earlier," they stayed in an uncomfortable silence while he finished his meal. He didn't realize how hungry he was until he finished the soup, he finished his beef casserole and fruits, even the disgusting pudding.

Misaki didn't utter a word, after putting the tray away she stood up and bid a quick good bye. She turned on her heels but he reached for her arm to stop her. He suddenly winced as he felt his wound slightly open up from his quick movement.

"Stop moving," her face was stern and full of worry as she rushed to his side. He took her hand and squeezed it lightly, assuring her that he was fine.

"Don't feel guilty, I wanted to save you," he voiced out the issue that has been bothering her, she gave him an incredulous look before shaking her head. He doesn't want her to think that she owes him anything for saving her life.

She scoffed, "You almost died and I could have put the minister's life in danger,"

"You still came back for me and everybody is safe. That's what is important," her expression relaxed. That might be the case but she was still in a dilemma. What does she feel about this man? How could he affect her so much that she lost sight of what was important and affect her judgement that almost compromised their mission. And risking his own life for her, he barely knew her yet he didn't even hesitate to jump in front of a bullet to save her. Her mind was in a total chaos.

She glared and raised her voice as she could still remember the scene unfold in front of her, "You could have died. Do you know how stupid that was?"

"Yeah. What can I do? I wasn't thinking very much," she looked up and stared at his mesmerizing pools.

"I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if you died because of me."

"I am still here," he tucked away a few loose hairs away from her face and gently caressed her cheek with his thumb, "You did your job and came back for me. You don't have to feel guilty for feeling torn between saving me and prioritizing your responsibility. We all knew what we signed up for the moment we stepped into the academy. We have to finish our job no matter what and prioritize our mission over ourselves,"

"Then why did you take a bullet for me?"

"You are too cruel Misaki, do you really want me to say it out loud?" his eyes moved from her hazel brown orbs to her inviting lips. He rubbed the pad of his thumb lightly along her bottom lip and his urge to kiss her intensified. He searched her eyes for uncertainty, aside from the small flush on her cheeks her face remained incomprehensible, he took it as a sign and held her by the neck slowly but surely reeling her closer to him.

"Hey," Hinata yelled out as he broke through the door.

Takumi froze in his spot while Misaki stumbled back in surprise, her face glowing red in embarrassment.

"Um you have company now. So-so I better g-get going now," she headed to the door without looking back and Takumi slumped forward in frustration.

"Are you not happy to see me?" Hinata asked innocently, "I brought you food," he happily waved the plastic bag at him, "Why was Misaki in a hurry?"

Right at that moment he didn't want to do anything else but strangle Hinata to death.

* * *

 ** _May 28, 2016_**

 ** _Sasaki Corporation_**

 ** _Main Base_**

The door to his office creaked open and his assistant walked in. He bowed his head and placed the folder on top of his desk. He nodded his hand and signalled his assistant to continue.

"Our men have been captured and is in custody of the S.F.I," Kiro flipped through the papers and slammed it down. The institute has done nothing but cause trouble in his businesses, they are crossing unmarked territories and gradually closing in on him.

"Any casualties?"

"None, Sir. Misaki Ayuzawa and the minister is still alive. Takumi Usui has been shot but he is still alive,"

"I thought I instructed you to kill them?" he inched closer to his assistant while the latter backed up in fear.

"Yes Sir," a frightened squeal escaped his lips as his back hit the wall.

Kiro grabbed him by the neck, "There's nothing I hate more than people who can't follow a simple order," he banged the man's head against the wall and tightened his hold around him. The man tried to push the hand gripped tightly around his neck while he desperately gasped for air. Slowly he felt the air constricting in his throat. He gradually stopped flailing around and his arms collapsed down to his sides.

Kiro released his hold around the lifeless body of his assistant hit the granite floor with a loud thud.

"Now, now aren't we being too rash- tsk tsk," his other companion stood up from his chair and walked away from the gruesome scene, "At least spare my son," he stopped by the window to look at the scenery

"Your son will get us all killed."

"No he wont, I will take care of him," he looked back and offered his boss an assuring smirk.

"You better. If he causes more trouble I will personally put a bullet in his head next time."


	9. Trust and Faith

**Chapter 9: Trust and Faith**

* * *

 ** _June 6, 2016_**

 ** _S.F.I Academy_**

Kanou picked up his pace as he reached his 20th lap around the field while Yukimura lagged behind, dead beat and panting heavily. It has been over a week since their last assignment and everybody in the institute was in a lock-down. Nobody was allowed to go out of the vicinity except for the executives who have been coming in and out of the Academy to meet up with the supervisors which stirred up a lot of rumors of what the problem was.

An announcement made a few days ago that all agents were required to see their head supervisor for a one-on- one meeting also caused a lot of concerns and questions from all of the agents. Everybody was still kept in the dark and nobody actually knew what was happening. He could only assume that it has something to do with the unsuccessful operations these past month and an alleged spy in the institute.

He looked up at the full moon and took a deep breath. Whatever is coming their way he hopes that everything will be alright. If his hunch was right, there might be a possibility that someone influential is targeting them and having spies in the institute means that there's a big chance for their organization to be disbanded and shut down. If that happens, they all have to seize a new identity and blend in with the society. Most of the agents have already lost their families, it might be hard to admit but all they really have is the institute and their team members.

He slowed down and jogged backwards as he waited for Yukimura to catch up, "Hurry up,"

"I am coming," Yukimura huffed out.

With the still night and only the moon and a few street lights illuminating the field; a black Honda Civic pulled in at the small parking space at the back of the field. He stopped on his tracks and squinted to get a better look. The headlights turned off and Tora came out of the back seat, Kanou quickly grabbed Yukimura by the arm and pulled him behind an oak tree nearby.

"What are you doing?" Kanou brought up his finger in front of his lips and ordered him to hush. They peered out from the side of the tree. The abundant trees and bushes and lack of lighting in their section kept them safely hidden.

Tora cautiously looked around and exchanged a few words with his acquaintance before slipping into the back door of the resident building. Once he was inside, the car pulled out and drove out into the darkness of the night. They discreetly followed him inside. Once they caught up with him, he was already standing in front of their dorm.

"Hey Tora," Yukimura called out from the end of the hallway. Kanou rolled his eyes, there goes the plan to stay still and undetected. Tora flinched and looked back in surprise.

"Hey," he narrowed his eyes at them, "What are you guys doing late this night?"

"We went to the gym. I haven't been able to work out these last few days," Kanou answered before Yukimura can say something that can get them caught. They approached him nonchalantly.

"Where have you been?" he asked before taking his keys out to open their door.

"You didn't even visit Takumi in the hospital," Yukimura chimed in, "He is going to be released next week."

"I got a call from my Uncle a few days ago and my grandmother wanted to see me. I went to see Takumi before I left," Kanou gave him a side glance, he couldn't tell if Tora was lying or not. Out of everyone in their team, Takumi and Tora are the only ones with remaining families. Yukimura nodded his head in understanding but Kanou remained suspicious, he let it slide for a moment and continued on with his inquiry.

"Have you heard of the news?" they walked in and opened the lights.

"Yeah. Hinata kept me updated, I have a meeting with Jiro on Saturday afternoon. Have you guys met up with him yet?"

"No, we are scheduled for next week," Tora nodded and dropped his bag on the couch.

"It's already past two in the morning. How did you get here?"

"My uncle dropped me off," Kanou nodded his head and dropped the interrogation, it seems like Tora was out and hiding something behind their backs. He silently groaned, his team really has a knack in keeping secrets, he just wishes that his intuition is not right this time.

 ** _-2 weeks later-_**

The academy was a full house as all teams are gathered in one place for an important assembly. The announcement was made a few days ago and even the other teams that were sent out overseas were pulled out from their missions to make it to the assembly. Even with the slight elation to be reunited with old friends and classmates that they haven't seen in a while, everybody was still buried with tension and uneasiness. Everybody has their own assumptions and opinions regarding the situation which caused more confusion.

They all piled into a line as they made their way into the auditorium room. Jiro Tadashi, the head supervisor of the academy stood behind a podium while waiting for everybody to settle down. All of the executives were also present as they sat on the chairs neatly arranged horizontally at the stage.

"Welcome back, agents. I know all of you have questions and concerns because of the sudden order to return to base. Our director Mr. Ken Yamada will be providing some answers,"

The head of director strode in and shook the executives' hands before making his way towards the podium. He gave Jiro an acknowledging nod and took over. Ken Yamada's father was the founder of the Secret Force Intelligence or S.F.I. and he took over when he was in his late twenties when the founder Nao Yamada was assassinated.

He was already in his late fifties but his strong built and presence will make you second guess his age. Ken Yamada has only made a total of two appearances in the academy since he became the director. The first time was when a big earthquake hit Japan and he personally made an announcement to get everyone's help. His last appearance was eight years ago when he led the ceremony to give respect to the late Sota Saiko, his good friend and once the head supervisor who was assassinated by an unknown group. Having the director himself come down from the main base implies that the issue was bigger than they anticipated.

"Welcome, agents. I know all of you have a lot of questions regarding what has been happening lately. But before I get to that, we are very saddened to announce that Team 5 led by Kyoya Akida was killed during their mission in Hong Kong two weeks ago," the auditorium became quiet as everyone tried to process the news. A moment of silence was given to give respect to them, all the agents were in shock and still in disbelief. An entire team killed during a mission was unheard of and with all the unusual incidents the past month, everybody became more unsettled.

Takumi closed his eyes to sort out his thoughts. It has only been a few weeks since his last encounter with Team 5 before they were sent to Hong Kong to go after Kiro. What if it was his team that was sent there? What could have happened to them? They might not be in the best terms but he never wished something bad to happen to Kyoya and his team. The rest of his group exchanged looks of worry and distress. The whispers began as everyone was itching to know what caused the incident but everyone knew that the information was confidential and cannot be disclosed.

The director cleared his throat, "As all of you knows, there has been a lot of talks about having a mole in the institute. I don't want to cause any conflicts between your teams or anybody in that matter, but we have to address the issue. We believe that there are spies walking among us," the whole auditorium gasped in surprise.

He continued, "Their identities are still unknown, but rest assured that I will do everything in my power to catch them and give them the punishment suited for their crimes. This is a fair warning to all of you, if you know something don't hesitate to let us know. After your meeting with your supervisors, we will return back to our operation by the end of this week. Thank you for your time," he bowed his head and exited with the executives following behind. With still many unanswered questions, all the agents dispersed to do their own tasks.

 **-xx-**

Misaki went to the gymnasium for her next training session after the assembly. Her students were already waiting for her inside the gym. Still unaware of the danger the institute was in at the moment, the news was hidden from them for their own safety. The boards came to a decision that they didn't want them to get involved in the mess, instead they want the students to focus on their studies and training. If worse comes to worst, they might have to step up and go out in the field early. The more reason why they have to be ready and prepared.

With so many things happening around her and her own dilemma, she doesn't know how she was still sane and functioning properly. She momentarily put aside her thoughts and clapped her hands to get their attention.

"We will begin with some warm up. 20 laps around the tracks and we will do a physical fitness test after. I told you guys to keep up with your cardio and strength training, so I hope you all are ready. Those who will fail will get demerits," the students sighed dejectedly.

She walked towards the table to start writing her report while waiting for her students when a certain blonde boy made his way towards her. She looked up from her paper works and frowned.

"What are you doing here?"

"I still have to make up for my missed sessions,"

"You are excused. You don't have to come here," she returned to her work and pretended to be absorbed in writing when all she could think was what almost happened at the hospital. Her face reddened in embarrassment once again. She wanted to slap her face for getting enthralled at his stupid emerald-green orbs.

"Why the cold shoulder, Misaki?" she stiffened.

She collected herself together before facing him with a blank expression, "I already talked to Jiro and we came to an agreement that you will be excused for your missed trainings. He wants you to focus on rehabilitation and getting better before they start giving away our next assignments," she needed to get away from him. She already has enough problem in her plate, she doesn't need any more confusion and him to cloud her judgement again.

"Nope. I don't want any special treatment. I will do whatever they are doing,"

"For God's sake, Takumi. Just rest," she turned around not realizing he have stepped closer to her. Their bodies mere inches away and her face blushed. He titled his head to the side with a knowing smirk plastered on his face. She narrowed her eyes at him, how could a simple smirk bring her heart into frenzy?

"Are you avoiding me?"

"N-no, I am not," she glanced around to see if anyone was witnessing their interaction, this will ruin her good reputation. A man making her flustered and unable to move. How did she become a helpless woman? This was far from the Misaki she knew.

"We were rudely interrupted last time," she tried to walk away but he pressed his body closer to her and she was cornered behind the table.

"What are you talking about?" she tried her best to avoid his stare.

"Don't play dumb with me,"

She frowned after hearing his comment and finally looked up to face him, "You know what I am stupid, because I have no clue what the hell is happening with me. You have thrown me for a loop and my head is going to explode with all these questions and to answer your previous question. Yes, I am avoiding you because I don't know why you make me feel this way. Are you happy now?" she was already breathless after her outburst

"Direct as always, Misaki," he chuckled while she looked at him in disbelief. How could he be laughing at her?

Takumi stepped back, "You are a very smart and strong woman but sometimes you can be very ignorant, which oddly makes me more attracted to you,"

"W-what?" her face turned scarlet red.

He shook his head and grin, "Don't worry, I will be here to help you realize your own feelings," he took a step back and brought her hand to his lips to plant a small kiss on top. "This will do for now. I am looking forward to our real kiss," he winked at the wide-eyed and flustered Misaki.

"See you later," With a devious smirk he turned on his heel.

* * *

Takumi woke up in the middle of the night from the persistent sound of his phone buzzing. With eyes closed and still half asleep he reached for the phone on his nightstand.

"Hello?" he laid on his back and stifled a yawn.

"Takumi," like an ice bucked was dumped over his head, he jolted awake. He sat up on his bed and became immobilized, he was too astounded to form any coherent words

"How have you been?" the sound of his voice sent chills down his spine.

He was right after all, "Dad," Takumi mumbled.

"Did you miss me?"


	10. The Spy

**_Chapter 10: The Spy  
_**

* * *

 ** _The Lodge Club_**

 ** _2 weeks ago_**

 _After doing another shot with my friends, I followed them back to the dance floor. The warm feeling in my stomach and throat was spreading, my nerves have subsided and was replaced by euphoria. I could feel myself loosening up and getting carried away with the upbeat music. A few guys tried to join our own little circle, grinding and dancing behind us._

 _Before continuing the night, we lounged around one of the tables near the bar and took a rest. I sipped on my cocktail while the rest of the girls took shots. A drink was sent our way a little bit after and placed in front of me. The waitress pointed at the handsome brunette hanging by the bar. He lifted his glass in my direction and gave me a seductive smile. I was hesitant at first, wasn't there a rule to never take a drink from a stranger? Seeing the attractive male making his way towards us, my friends encouraged me even more._

 _"Drink it," they chanted._

 _"Don't worry, we got you girl," feeling assured, I went ahead and took a sip_

 _"Hi, Ladies. Are you guys having a good time?"_

 _"Would you mind if I steal your friend for a minute?" he offered his hand._

 _"Not at all," the girls giggled in response_

 _I gave him a small smile and he pulled me towards the dance floor_

 _"Aeron," he shook my hands_

 _"Rin."_

 _"Nice to meet you, Rin."_

 _"You don't seem like a party person," he commented._

 _"Yeah, I am not," seeing him waving at a few people we passed by, I slightly shook my head, "It seems like you know your way around here."_

 _"I come here occasionally," he slightly scratched the back of his head and gave me a shy smile. He ordered us a drink and my friends waved at us from a few tables ahead._

 _"Here try this," he offered me a drink. Without any second thought, I gulped it down._

 _"Let's go," he gently held me by the arm and stirred me to the back of the bar. A moment later, I felt my head getting heavy._

 _"I am feeling dizzy," I grabbed his arm for support._

 _"Don't worry it is just the alcohol," despite his assurance, I felt something was not right._

 _"I need to go back to my friends," I protested, trying to writhe out of his hold. Even with my strong protest, I felt myself slowly loosing consciousness._

 _"Don't worry. Everything will be fine," with his pacifying words as my last memory, darkness enveloped me._

* * *

 ** _Present_**

 ** _S.F.I Academy_**

The institute resumed to normal operation yesterday after the announcement. The other agents returned to their assignments while the rest were briefed for their next missions. Despite the big revelation everyone was trying their best to put aside their worries and focus on their tasks.

With both teams present, Jiro passed the folders around the table, "There have been three cases of death in the city these past few weeks,"

The folder contained pictures of lifeless women in their twenties, bodies covered with slashes and faces almost unidentifiable.

"The same kind of drug was found in their bodies. We believe that this was done by the same person or group of people. They were all last seen at The Lodge, a pattern was observed and the killing was done two weeks apart. A group of women identified one of the suspects and was last seen with the most recent victim- Rin Ito. We believe that they will target a new victim this weekend, you have to find evidence and make the arrest,"

"How about the other two victims. Where they also last seen with this man?" Shizuko flipped through the report.

"No. They were separated from their friends and was never seen after," Jiro replied

"There might have been some kind of operation to isolate them from their friends and slip drugs in their drinks," Kuuga suggested.

"Maybe, that is your job to find out," Jiro turned off his laptop, "This will be your last mission before your probation is lifted, I hope that there will not be any mishaps this time," he gave each of them a fleeting look before distributing the attaché case which contained their new weapons and gadgets.

"Takumi since you still need time to recover we decided to make you sit this one out," he added as he returned to his seat.

"No. I want to take part in the mission," Takumi replied

Jiro furrowed his eyebrows, "You only have one month left until the end of your probation. You need to be in the best shape as possible,"

"I know. I will take any role, just don't leave me out."

Misaki rolled her eyes at his statement.

Jiro took a deep breath realizing that he couldn't talk him out of it, "Fine, you will be on standby and you can't take part on the chase,"

"Fine with me," Takumi replied.

After wrapping up their briefing, Jiro hurriedly left for his other meeting. The room became quiet as the two teams were left on their own, Misaki looked up from her seat noticing the tension between the other team. Tora excused himself after and the rest of the guys remained seated on their seats. The friction and disaccord started after the allegation of Kanou and Yukimura which intensified their doubt on Tora.

"We need to talk," Hinata cleared his throat once Tora was out of earshot.

"Let us not judge him too quickly," Takumi immediately cut him off, "This is not the time to suspect each other again," he added, reminding them of a similar incident from a few weeks ago.

"What is happening?" Misaki asked as she watched their discussion.

The boys exchanged a look, wondering whether to let the other team in on their speculation. Takumi nodded his head at his team.

"Tora has been very suspicious these last few weeks," Yukimura explained

"He left for a couple of days without telling anyone and has been taking private calls. I don't want to assume that he is the spy, but we need to get down to the bottom of this," Kanou followed up.

"Lets just keep an eye out on him," Kuuga said and everybody agreed.

-xx-

 ** _June 24, 2016_**

 ** _The Lodge Club_ **

Since the suspect was targeting girls, Misaki's team went undercover as civilians. Their roles let them observe much closer or the best case of scenario attract the attention of the suspect and deal with him personally. Tora and Yukimura took the roles as bartenders while the rest of the guys were on a look out.

It was a Friday night and everyone was out to have a good time. Misaki's team blended in and danced along with drinks in one hand, a few boys slowly got closer to the girls and began grinding on them. Misaki who was feeling frisky that night, fully committed to her disguise and danced with a civilian.

"Starting to get a bit touchy there, Misaki," Takumi muttered on the other line, carefully observing them from the bar across. Misaki snickered and returned to her task.

Shizuko and Sakura split up from her after a while to check the other parts of the club. Sakura hung around the bar in hope to find the suspect while Shizuko walked around the area. Thirty minutes into their operation and Kuuga spotted him.

"Target acquired. Moving to the floor. Misaki he is on your left,"

He seemed to be eyeing the girls on the floor, possibly searching for the drunkest of them all or maybe looking for a particular girl to play around that night. Misaki was determined to get his attention. With her cocktail in one hand, she walked towards him while pushing people out of her way. She purposely bumped into him and spilled all of her drinks on him.

"Oh my gosh. I am so sorry," she gushed as she tries to wipe his stained polo shirt with her hands.

He stopped her hands and her gaze moved up to meet a pair of brown eyes. He wasn't too bad in the eyes and rather very attractive in person.

"Don't worry about it," he shouted over the loud music

With his 6-foot height she had to stand on her toes to get closer to his ear, "No. No. Let me get you a drink," she grinned

"How can I refuse an offer from a beautiful girl," he winked. Misaki internally shook her head, if he was actually the suspect, how can such a charming man do something completely deranged and ruthless. But his looks alone can attract many girls and makes it easier for him to do such crime.

"I am Aeron,"

"Akira," Misaki shook his hands and they headed to the bar.

Takumi was sitting a few chairs from where they were standing, close enough to intervene if the suspect tries something on Misaki. She ordered him a beer while he strike up a conversation.

She showed her flirty side and began enticing him, "Did you come here alone?" she fixed the collar of his shirt

"I'm with a few friends, how about you?"

"I came with my two best friends, but they just left me to hang out with some guys," she faked a pout

"I will keep you company tonight," he snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. His other arm reached for the drink given by Tora.

"Want to dance?"

She nodded her head and they went back to the floor. With his hands moving sensually around her body, she grinded with him. She threw a look to Takumi's direction once in a while and he was looking directly at her with a blank expression. His gaze alone stirred some kind of emotion inside her. Why does she suddenly feel guilty? She was only doing her job, she closed her eyes and returned her attention back to her company.

"Keep an eye on him, see if he puts something in the drink," Kanou instructed on the other line

"He only has a beer in one hand," Shizuko moved closer to the scene

"Here, take a sip," he moved the bottle to Misaki.

"It's alright. Maybe later," she politely declined his offer in fear that he already drugged the drink.

"Come on. Let's have fun, tonight."

"Is it safe?" Takumi asked

He smiled at Misaki and continued to urge her, wanting to gain his trust she finally took a sip from the bottle.

Kuuga moved closer to the scene to get a better look when he noticed another man giving Aeron a signal from a distance, "Don't drink it," Kuuga exclaimed

Misaki's eyes slightly widened in surprise, she tried her best to remain calm. She looked up at the suspect and he had a grin plastered on his face.

"His accomplice is moving out, they've already drugged her," Kuuga pushed the other civilians out of the way to get to the suspect

"Shit. How did that happen?" Shizuko asked as she moved out from her post.

"I thought Yukimura and Tora was responsible for keeping an eye on their drinks," Sakura was rushing to their direction.

Misaki felt a slight buzz followed by a heavy feeling in her head. She slumped her forehead against his shoulders, hand forming into a fist as she tried her best to stay awake, "Evergreen," she mumbled, feeling the effect of the drug in her body.

Takumi dashed to the floor after hearing her distress call, it was their code when an agent feels in danger and requires a backup. His jaw clenched as he followed the suspect hurriedly rushing to the exit.

"Everything is fine," Aeron mumbled in her ear as he stirred them to the back

"No. No," she tried to get away from his hold but she was slowly losing consciousness.

"Everything will be fine. I got you," with his arms tightly holding her they made their way out of the bar.

She was starting to feel frightened as she was also slowly losing feeling in her body, "Takumi," she cried out.

She could hear her team giving signals to make the arrest, the sounds around her was becoming faint and her eyesight was getting fuzzy. After a while she felt herself being pulled out of the man's hold and replaced by familiar arms holding her steady.

"It's alright. I am here now," he whispered in her ears. In his secured and safe arms, she succumbed to the darkness.

-x-

Police arrived at the scene and arrested Aeron and the rest of his crew. The paramedics also arrived and sent Misaki to the hospital. Luckily, they were able to catch Aeron before he got into their vehicle with Misaki in his arms.

They were all in distraught after the arrest, feeling incompetent for putting another member of their team in danger from a careless mistake. The group exchanged a knowing look as they walked back to their van, their suspicions getting stronger that Tora might be behind all the trouble after all. Takumi who was the most upset threw a glance at Tora's direction when he noticed him pulling out his gun and pointed it towards the others.

Takumi automatically reached for his gun, "Drop your gun," Takumi exclaimed.

The others stopped on their tracks and looked back at the commotion, after seeing Tora's intention they were in defence as they pulled out their guns and pointed it at Tora as well.

He looked at each one of them before narrowing his eyes at the person in front of him, "I am not your enemy,"

"What the hell are you doing?" Kanou furrowed his brows, "Drop your gun, NOW," he yelled out.

"Aren't you guys curious why something always goes wrong during our missions?" Tora disregarded their warnings, his eyes solely focused on one person only, "It is because we have a spy in our very own group, working for the enemy under our noses,"

Tora stepped forward while they carefully followed his step not faltering behind but his next move took everyone by surprise.

"Who are you working for?" Tora's voice was laced with anger as he grabbed him by the collar. The person's arms fell to his sides dropping his own gun in the process.

"What are you talking about?" everyone was stunned watching the exchange between the two.

"Release him, Tora." Hinata commanded

"Tell me who you are working for or I will not hesitate to shoot you in the head," Tora pointed his gun against his temple.

"Yukimura," Tora's grip on his collar tightened, "Tell me the fcking truth!"


	11. The Aftermath

**Chapter 11: The Aftermath  
**

* * *

 ** _June 24, 2016_**

 ** _The Lodge Club_**

"Tell me who you are working for or I will not hesitate to shoot you in the head," Tora pointed the gun against his temple.

"Yukimura," Tora's grip on his collar tightened, "Tell me the truth!"

Hinata rushed to their sides before anything happens, he quickly pulled him away and slammed Tora against the wall. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Tora didn't try to fight him back but remained still as he threw another heated gaze at his direction, "He is the spy,"

"What is he saying, Yukimura?" they looked at him for an explanation

"Is this true?" they lowered their guns.

With eyes wide in fear, he shook his head relentlessly, "I d-don't know what he is talking about," he took a few steps back.

"Who was the last person who got into the car during our infiltration in Kenji's mansion? The person who brought securities right behind him as he got into our car?" Tora tried to justify his accusation

"You are the one who's been acting suspicious these last few weeks, " Kuuga said

"I have had a feeling that there is a spy in our group. I began investigating on my own with the help of one of the supervisors," Tora explained himself, "If you all are still unconvinced, how did you think three shooters easily passed through the tight security during the prime minister's wedding? It was only him and Kanou who worked with the security team,"

"Are you also suspecting me?" Kanou asked

"No. I am saying that in all of our assignments, Yukimura always played a role in sabotaging our mission and it is because he has his own agenda," Hinata's hold on Tora loosened up as he faced Yukimura in disbelief. It was slowly making sense.

"And who was the person in the bar with me earlier that slipped the drug in the drink before letting me pass it to Misaki?" everyone's eyes were on Yukimura.

Blood drained from Yukimura's face in alarm as he noticed each one of them slowly closing in on him, "I was just following orders," Yukimura's voice cracked

Takumi gritted his teeth as he took bold steps towards Yukimura and grabbed him around the neck, "Who's order?"

"Jiro Tadashi," he mumbled

The group fell into silence, unable to comprehend if what they were hearing was true.

"Is this true?" Takumi tightened his hold around his neck

"Someone recruited Jiro to switch sides in exchange of a very big amount. Jiro gave them information about our missions and I was given tasks to disrupt our assignments," Yukimura was already in tears as he fell on his knees and confessed the whole truth.

"How can we trust anything that he says?" Sakura asked

His eyes were filled with regret and guilt as he pleaded on his knees, "I am telling the truth!"

"We need to alert the director," Kuuga faced the others

"I will contact him right away," Tora pulled his phone out, "Make sure he doesn't leave your sight," Sakura took out a pair of handcuffs while Shizuko disarmed Yukimura.

"We can't let Jiro suspect that we know,"

"There are other spies planted in the institute, if they get your message they will let Jiro know right away. Make sure you contact the director directly," Yukimura added, "I am sorry," he looked down on the ground and a small sob followed.

They watched as Yukimura was handcuffed by Sakura, they couldn't process the truth that even after everything they went through together, he was able to betray them and put their lives at risk. Kanou walked up to him, eyes painted with anguish, he firmly grabbed his arm and forced him to look straight into his eyes to see how much pain he was causing them.

"How can you do this to us?"

"Jiro threatened to kill me if I don't cooperate," he avoided Kanou's gaze as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Takumi could have died during our last mission," he pushed Yukimura back down on the ground, "and you also put Misaki in danger tonight,"

Hinata stopped Kanou, "You don't want to do anything you will regret," he warned Kanou who was getting blinded with anger.

"Yet he didn't regret breaking our trust," he yelled out. Kanou faced his right and threw a hard punch on the concrete wall.

"I am sorry. I am sorry," Yukimura repeated like a broken record.

"It is too late for that," Kuuga helped him up and put him in the back seat.

"Tell Jiro that we are done the mission and we are on our way back. I have contacted the director," they all got into the car and drove back to the academy.

-x-

 ** _S.F.I Academy_**

A few cars were already parked in front of the administration building when they arrived. A few agents got out and greeted them followed by the director himself. It was hard to involve the police and share their discovery to other executives in fear that someone will alert Jiro. The director only called in his most trusted agents and securities to help with the arrest.

Takumi with Yukimura in tow lead the way to the Jiro's office. He knocked twice before entering. Jiro was busy doing his reports when they barged in. Takumi pushed Yukimura inside and he fell on his knees in front of Jiro.

Jiro's eyes widened in surprise, "W-what is happening?" he arched his brows in confusion

"You are arrested for giving out confidential information from the institute to other sources and for altering the missions and putting the lives of our agents in danger," the director stopped in front of Jiro and signalled the securities to restrain him

"Mr. Yamada, what is the meaning of this?"

"I never expected this from you, Jiro," he shook his head in disappointment.

"I don't know what you are talking about," he looked at them in puzzlement.

"We already have the evidences here," Ken Yamada threw the folder on the floor and pictures of contracts and information sent out to an unidentified person scattered all over the floor. With the help of Yukimura's confession and knowledge of Jiro's dishonesty they were able to track down how Jiro was able to send info to other sources. His bank account was also checked and he was hiding a big amount of money under another alias.

With all the evidences pointing at him, Jiro finally dropped his act. He threw a look at Yukimura and scoffed in disdain

"You are dismissed from your position and I will make sure that you will rot in prison for everything you have done," Mr. Yamada threatened him.

"This is only starting," with his façade completely forgotten, he showed his scornful side and grinned at the director. He looked the agents as he passed each one of them and stopped in front of Takumi. He gave him a sinister smile, "Watch your back. You don't know when they are coming for you,"

-x-

The news of Jiro Tadashi being arrested took everyone by surprise, especially Misaki who woke up the next day to the news. Nobody expected that the man they trusted for so many years was a fraud. The announcement was made the very next day.

"As all of you have heard our head supervisor Jiro Tadashi has been dismissed from his post. He committed crimes and given the enemies important information about us and our organization. The other spies were also named and they will be given the punishment suited for their crimes. We will also make sure to find the people behind this. Be aware of more secured procedures that we will implement starting on the next few days. Now that we have passed through this hurdle, I will try my best to keep the institute safe and running, with your help, we will be working to be a better and stronger group," Ken Yamada confidently said.

"I would like to commend Tora Igarashi for responding to this incident in the right manner, he will be rewarded for his honesty and devotion to the institute" the auditorium erupted into cheers.

"On another note. I am very pleased to announce that one of our most respected agent will be taking the spot as the head supervisor of the academy. I believe that his experience in the field and dedication to his work makes him a perfect candidate for this position,"

Misaki gaped in shock as a familiar man walked across the stage.

"It can't be," Shizuko said

"It is him," Sakura smiled.

"Let us all welcome Mr. Dennis Karino," the whole auditorium exploded into cheers as a tall, dark and handsome man in his early thirties walked across the stage and to the podium. He shook the director's hand and stepped up.

"Hello, everyone. Thank you for your warm welcome. I am very excited to meet each one of you and it's a pleasure to see my old colleagues here," his focus narrowed down to the raven-haired girl in the front row.

"It is nice to see you again."


	12. Rivalry and Jelousy

**Chapter 12: Rivalry and Jealousy**

* * *

 ** _June 25, 2016_**

 ** _S.F.I Academy_**

After the assembly, each teams present were scheduled to be briefed and introduced to the new head supervisor. Everyone was still in the process of taking in the news, the spies were people they knew and for some, people they worked with for many years, someone they cared for and treated as family. Each group was greatly affected, especially the teams that had double agents including Team 3. Yukimura was imprisoned after capturing Jiro Tadashi, he has confessed to his sins and willingly came with the authorities. A few other agents and officials was also taken away from their position and were detained. It was discovered that Jiro was leading the operation for the unnamed culprit, the investigation was still on-going as the institute tries to get to the bottom of it.

Takumi and the rest of his team arrived at the meeting room. The new head supervisor rose up from his chair and welcomed them in.

"It is very nice to meet you all," Dennis shook their hands and greeted each one them

Hinata was the first one to greet him, "You are a legend Mr. Carino,"

Dennis Carino has been an agent for more than 10 years, he led different teams and operated successful solo missions. His remarkable record and dedication to work made him one of the most sought-after agent of their time. He recently took a break from the field and have been working alongside the director at the main base for the past year.

"Thank you, please just call me, Dennis," they took their seats and waited for the other team's arrival.

"You must be Takumi Usui," he gazed at Takumi who was sitting on the chair on his right.

"It's nice to meet you," Takumi politely replied.

Dennis faced him, "The pleasure is mine. You are very popular, I have heard a lot of things about you,"

His mouth curved into a smirk, "I am hoping it's all good words,"

Dennis chuckled, "Of course. Your team is considered to be one of the best, I am surprised to learn that you were put in probation,"

"It was because our missions were sabotaged," Kanou replied with a stern voice. Out of all people in the team, he was one of the most affected from the recent events. He was very close to Yukimura and he still couldn't accept the fact that he was able to betray his own team.

"I guess whoever is behind this found your team as a threat and wanted to keep an eye on you," Dennis noted.

They could only keep their thoughts to themselves, a knock on the door interrupted them and team 8 walked in. The girls were very thrilled as they marched inside to greet their new supervisor.

"My favourite girls," he grinned and stood up to meet them.

"Senpai," Sakura ran up to him and hugged him followed by Shizuko. They looked back to Misaki who was still standing by the door looking at him with a grim expression.

"Missed me?" he grinned at the raven-haired girl.

She glared at him for a minute, "Oh come on," he pouted his lips and Misaki's face softened.

She walked up to him and threw her arms around him, he reciprocated her action and pulled her into a tight hug.

"How are you?" he asked as he finally let her go.

"You didn't even bother telling me," she yelled at him, she paused for a second realizing where they were. She glanced at the rest of the team and smiled in embarrassment, "We haven't heard from you for so long," she said

"Sorry about that but I know you guys have been very busy also you can't yell at me like that anymore. I am the head supervisor and I can make you do anything I want," he ruffled the top of her head

Misaki pushed his hand away, "Total abuse of power," she sat on the chair on his left while fixing her hair back to its place, despite her creased forehead her excitement was written all over her face.

"I'm glad to see you again," he dotingly smiled at her.

She rolled her eyes and looked ahead, her smile slipped after meeting the gaze of the owner with green pools sitting across her. Before she could ponder about his reaction, Dennis began the meeting.

"There will be a lot of changes over the next few weeks, we want to make sure that the missions and instructions are not being intercepted by another party. We will tighten the security and a lot of new rules will be implemented. I need you all to sign a few agreements regarding the new policies and regulations," he distributed the folders around and each one read it thoroughly before signing it.

Dennis resumed, "After this long dreadful week, I want to turn the mood around and announce that your probation is officially lifted and your teams will return to normal operation starting next week," the boys cheered at the announcement.

"Thank God," Kuuga dramatically sighed.

"Okay. Settle down," Dennis chuckled and the girls shook their heads in amusement.

"I will also start briefing you separately since you will be receiving different missions from now on. I know you will miss each other a lot but its time to move on," he teased while both teams exchanged smiles. They might have had a rough start and a lot of misunderstandings in the beginning but they came out of it stronger and united

"I don't want anyone crying today. Understood," he said as he looked at each team, "Save it for some other day," the rest of the teams laughed with him

"You haven't changed," Shizuko smiled at Dennis

"How did you know the girls?" Hinata inquired, noticing the closeness of the four.

"I was one of their teachers," he glanced at Misaki, "and her personal trainer. That is how she got her mad skills and demonic power. I am all responsible for it," he winked at her

She scoffed, "What a load of bullshit. I already had all of these skills from the very beginning, you only taught me how to hold a knife and a gun,"

"Watch your language. I am your supervisor now, show me some respect," his tone was very serious but there was a playful glint in his eyes.

"Nothing respectable about you," the girls beside Misaki chuckled at their squabble.

"We have all grown up but they are still the same," Sakura said while shaking her head.

Takumi pressed his lips together as he watched their interaction from the side, his face became callous seeing Misaki carefree and comfortable with him. As they continued their conversation, catching up and talking about their history he knew nothing about, an unfamiliar emotion swept him over and created turmoil in his head. While the others were enjoying listening to the stories from their training days and Dennis' fond memories of her, Takumi was distracting himself with the pen on his hand, twirling it around his fingers, glancing up once in a while to see her face. Hearing her laugh and touching him with familiarity, he deliberately threw the pen and it landed in front of her.

Misaki paused and looked at him in puzzlement, "Sorry, don't mind me," he muttered staring directly into her amber eyes.

Dennis cleared his throat and glanced at Takumi, a slight chuckle escaped his lips before resuming, "Anyway, I want you guys to write a report from the last two months. I want to know about all the missions and instructions Jiro gave to your teams, we will be needing them for our investigation,"

-xxx-

"How about we go out tomorrow and have some fun before we leave for our next mission," Kuuga proposed as they made their way out

"Yeah, I need a break after everything that happened this week," Hinata sighed, "Also this might be the last time we will see each other for a while," he added

The group became quiet, "Let's do it," Sakura smiled, "A commemoration for still being alive,"

"I don't think that's something to celebrate," Kanou replied, "I will pass. Unlike all of you I am not in a celebratory mood," he walked ahead without looking back

"Kanou," Tora called out

"Sorry, I know you guys are going through a tough time. I was out of line," Sakura apologized

"No, it's just that Kanou is taking it harder than the rest of us," Hinata replied.

Misaki glanced at Takumi once again, he hasn't been himself today and she might finally understood why.

"It is all set then, we will let you know the plan tonight," the boys went ahead to their dorms while the girls headed to the gym.

Misaki spotted Takumi splitting away from his team and heading to the field, "I will catch up with you later," she told the girls before running after Takumi.

Hands in pockets and lost in thought was how she caught him, "Are you okay?"

He stopped on his tracks, "Are you worried about me?"

"No!" her cheeks turned pink as she tried to cover up her lies, "I mean, I am just wondering how you are doing after everything that happened," she sighed. She couldn't imagine what he was feeling after learning that his closest friend deceived all of them.

"I will be okay," he turned around to face her.

"What's in your mind right now?" she asked noticing his state she figured what he needed the most was someone to talk to.

"I have a lot of things in my mind right now," he replied, he remained closed off as if he was trying to push her away

"If you need someone to talk to about what happened, I am here to listen," she reassured him.

"I am dealing with it on my own way. It feels awful to be betrayed by someone really close to me but there are other things bothering me right now,"

She nodded her head in understanding.

"Where's Dennis?" he asked all of a sudden

She arched her brows at his query, "I don't know. Back in his office. Why are you asking about him?"

"You two seem very close,"

She narrowed her eyes at him, "What's your point?"

He took a deep sigh, "Nothing," he turned away and began walking

"Takumi," she yanked his arm to stop him, "What is happening with you? Why are you acting like this?" she frowned

"You really want to know?" he said in a strained voice.

She paused, "Yes,"

"I am jealous, Misaki,"


	13. Priorities

**A/N:** It's been a while since I last updated this story, I almost forgot how much I enjoyed writing this story. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

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 **Chapter 13: Priorities  
**

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 ** _S.F.I. Academy_**

"I am jealous, Misaki," he felt a slight relief after finally voicing out what has been bothering him the entire day but the thick silence that engulfed them and her wide eyes staring back at him in bewilderment made him regret saying it out loud.

"W-what?" her voice sounded so small as she tried to compose herself.

"Do I really need to say this out loud?" he slightly shook his head, "I don't like what you are making me feel," he confessed with a slight amusement. Never did he thought that he would be put in this kind of predicament nonetheless be on the other side confessing about his childish jealousy.

Her brows snapped together at his admission, she might be naïve at times but she was not stupid. She already had a feeling where their conversation was heading, "Takumi. Please don't," she tried to stop him from saying it out loud, it will only put a strain in their existing relation and in their world, it was hard to form trust and she didn't want to lose what she has with him.

"Do you really not understand what I am feeling?" it was the first time he saw her off guard, the girl who was fast on her feet and strong willed was suddenly in disarray. Her eyes were focused on his but he could tell her mind was wondering somewhere else, the crease on her forehead became permanent as she contemplated and sorted out her muddled thoughts. He felt that he crossed the line this time, he should have known better than corner her and force her out of her comfort zone.

The sudden ringing of her phone distracted her pondering, she whipped out her phone and a familiar name was displayed on the screen, a small sigh escaped her lips. She looked up to meet his eyes and he pressed his lips together, that ridiculous feeling suddenly sweeping him over and clouding his judgement once more. He didn't like what it was making him feel and do.

"Don't answer it," he blurted out before he could stop himself

She frowned at his comment and placed the phone against her ear, she broke away from his gaze and answered the call, "Hello,"

 _'Where are you?"_

"I am outside the residence building," she replied

 _'Do you want to go out with –'_

He clenched his fist before taking bold steps towards her and swiftly grabbing her small face between his hands, he locked eyes with her stunned pools for a second before he closed the distance between them. A small rustle was heard as the phone fell on the grass. He felt her hands balled up into a fist against his torso as she tried to push him away. Instead of pulling away he held her closer, deciding to move his lips against hers, proving his intentions and to make her understand his insecurities, his desire, hoping it transcends through his light touch. Gradually he felt her become limp in his arms as she slowly responded back to his kiss, it was a slow, hesitant caress at first but as he deepened his kiss, their light touches evolved into hunger and desperation, not with lust but with desire and yearning for each other. With her simple touch, she exposed her feelings and true desires and it made him want to feel her closer.

He pulled away and leaned his forehead against her, trying to catch his breath and ease the pounding in his chest.

"I don't feel the same way," she mumbled, trying to get out of his hold

He took a step back, his eyes watching the flush on her cheeks and realization dawning in her eyes, "It didn't feel that way to me," he smirked, suddenly feeling assured after their moment.

"Takumi, you don't understand," she tried to avoid his intense gaze, not wanting herself to get drawn to him once again.

His smile slipped away as he furrowed his brows, "Make me understand then. What's holding you back?"

"I can't do this," she turned around and began walking away.

"Misaki, if you walk away now we will never be able to work this out," he called out to her.

In a few days, they would be dispatched to another country for a new assignment, if they didn't fix what happened between them he doesn't think they will have another chance in possibly making it work in the future and in their line of work full of danger and uncertainty, there was nothing more important than being able to tell someone you care for how you truly feel because who knows if he will ever come back again, alive.

He waited for her to stop and reconsider but she continued walking and never looked back

 **-xx-**

She threw another kick across the punching bag before collapsing down on the floor. She reached for her water bottle and took big gulps before walking towards the bench to rest. Despite her attempt to put him out of her head just for a while. Her mind was only filled with the image of him, the dejected look on his face when she turned her back on him. She closed her eyes, feeling the lump forming behind her throat. Her lower lip quivered as she tried to supress the pain wrapping her soul and making her heart heavy. She has nobody to blame but herself for letting herself get close and for making herself think for a second that maybe she can have both worlds.

The door to the empty training room creaked open, she looked up for a second to see her other company. She immediately collected herself and looked away.

"Misaki," Dennis called out, he walked towards her, "What happened to you? I got worried because the phone got disconnected a while ago. I thought you might be- " he stopped after getting a closer look at her.

"Are you crying? Is the great Misaki crying?" he teased

She wiped her face with a towel, "Shut the hell up," she tried her best to not meet his gaze, he doesn't want her to see her vulnerable.

"What happened?" he asked as he watched her from the side

"What do you need?" she spat out.

He took a seat beside her, "I wanted to invite you and the girls out to grab something to eat,"

"They might be back in our room," she replied.

He grabbed her arm and tried to hoist her up, "Lets go,"

"Where are we going?" she retrieved her arm and remained on her seat.

"To talk about it,"

"There's nothing to talk about," she huffed as she wiped another tear falling down her cheek

He sat back down, "Is this about Takumi?"

The sudden shift of her face proved that his intuition was right, "It seems like you've found someone else to like

"No, I didn't,"

"You are not the best liar, Misaki," he sadly smiled, "How did that guy replace me in your heart?"

"He didn't. Like you said before having feelings will only compromise our jobs," se replied indifferently but it sent her back to all the painful memories.

The sole reason she became an agent was to avenge her parents' death. Catch and kill criminals in hope to get the justice she never got. But as she worked her way into becoming an agent, she learned a lot along her way, she met many people that made her change her beliefs. Her motive to kill was replaced by another purpose and that was to protect innocent people like her from losing their family. Working in the field for a few months strengthened her new-found belief and she found another reason to push through and become the best agent but as soon as she found her calling something else blocked her way and that was love.

She fell in love with her trainer, the strong, intelligent, arrogant at times but a very respectable agent. It made her realize the intensity of one's feelings and what it could make you do. She lost sight of what was important and what she was striving for. Luckily, he knew better and stopped anything between them from flourishing.

"And I am regretting everything I said before,"

His reply made her give him a second look, "What?" she faced him.

He paused before shaking head and giving her a smile that didn't quiet reach his eyes, "I know I told you that I couldn't continue what we had back then but I realized that my feelings for you were the only thing that kept me grounded," he hesitated for a second, contemplating whether to let her in on his little secret, "Putting disguises, pretending to be someone else and getting immersed in each mission can take a toll on you without realizing it. After I tried to forget about my feelings for you, I didn't realize that I was becoming someone else."

"But you became a better agent. Nothing held you back from making any mistake and nothing to cloud your judgement," she countered.

"and in the process, I lost myself. I tried very hard to repressed all my emotions, to stop myself from feeling something and before I realized it, I was killing mercilessly without feeling any guilt," a momentary sadness clouded his features before he recollected himself and giving her a half smile.

"Don't make the same mistake I did, you will regret it for the rest of your life,"

She gritted her teeth together, "You don't understand. You were right, these feelings will only get in the way and possibly put other people in danger," she shook her head, she will not make anyone around her suffer because of her selfishness and for following her heart. After all that was how she lost her parents.

Two strong and highly skilled agents killed by a mafia, her mother blindsided with grief went on a mission to go after her dad defying all the rules and putting her team in danger and at three years old she lost both her parents. After everything she went through she promised herself to never let love get in the way. She promised that she wouldn't make the same mistake that her parents did.


End file.
